


Shadows Upon a Desert

by PolarKarma



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Death, F/F, F/M, M/M, Monsters, Multi, Polyamory, Shade Academy, Vacuo (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 10:01:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21967504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolarKarma/pseuds/PolarKarma
Summary: Ruby Rose, at the age of 17 years old, graduates Signal Academy. And instead of applying for Beacon, the red reaper runs off to Vacuo, the back end of Remnant. In this rolling desert and swamped jungles, she will encounter an assortment of runaways: a former terrorist, a former heiress, and a mischievous local. How will the red reaper fair in this wasteland? How will she fair against their demons and shadows? How will she fair against her own?
Relationships: Blake Belladonna & Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna/Weiss Schnee, Jaune Arc/Lie Ren, Jaune Arc/Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Nora Valkyrie, Jaune Arc/Yang Xiao Long, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren/Yang Xiao Long, Nora Valkyrie/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose & Sun Wukong, Ruby Rose & Taiyang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose & Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Sun Wukong
Comments: 11
Kudos: 44





	1. Graduation

Ruby Rose took a deep breath as she walked the halls of Signal Academy. Final exams were today—in particular, the practical portion. The final test for all graduating teens of Signal was to kill a Grimm. Your ability to do so was judged harshly. Every aspect of your combat style was analyzed and graded upon. It wasn't too much longer before her time in the arena.

She slipped into the locker room for the last time. Her hand glided across the white and blue-grey walls. Her walk came to a stop before her own metal closet before she opened it. When the metal door swung open, a mirror was attached to the back of the door, allowing her to see herself in her seventeen-year-old glory.

Her choppy, spiky hair was dark with red streaks decorated her locks as its length neared her shoulders. Her build held long legs, a slightly short torso, and a bust she was proud of. Though, her height brought about some insecurities. Her top consisted of a sleeveless black top underneath a black corset accented and lined with a deep red. The thinness of the top was evident—almost matching the thinness of stockings. And leather vambraces adorned her wrists—colored in black with hints of red.

Her legwear consisted of a dark red skirt which slipped underneath her top with a belt wrapped slanted around her waist. Underneath the pleats of her skirt, she had black stockings which led to black combat boots with red lacing and soles. And, of course, a red cloak laid upon her shoulders; pinned to her chest with a metallic rose. A hood hung from her collar.

A light smile graced her lips, "Hello, Ruby…" She turned to the contents of her own locker.

Crescent Rose had been altered over the past two years. The scythe bore a more simplistic, streamlined design that was also a more manageable size. The staff was long and colored red with engravings decorating its surface. The head of the scythe held the blade that mimicked the crescent moon. The base of the curved blade, where it met the staff, was interrupted by a gyro-sphere.

There was also a handle implemented upon the base of the weapon which was in the shape and make of a gun's grip and trigger. The mechanics of the high-impact sniper were maintained underneath the blade. Though, the scope had to be abandoned in the new design.

On the opposite side of the weapon, there was a double-edged blade that bore a cross-shaped guard. Its length was very similar to a dagger's. The material of the blade was silvery with a red line driving down its center.

She collapsed the weapon before hitching it to the back of her belt. She reached in once more and pulled a pair of collapsed gauntlets. The metal was a dark red with rivets cloaked in black. They hitched onto her vambraces perfectly.

Once they were locked into place, she reached within and pulled out a pair of goggles. It was framed with red and its lens were black. She pulled them onto her head, pulling them over her eyes. The lens whirled to life, magnifying the image according to the squint of her eyes. Her hand pulled them up and rested them upon her brow.

She smirked at herself in the mirror before pumping her fist, "Here we go!" A wave of her hand and the locker swung shut. She took a deep breath before making her way towards the exit.

-\ X /-

Yang Xiao Long wrapped her arms around her younger sister's shoulders, crushing the breath from her lungs. "Oh, I'm so proud of you!" The siblings stood amongst a crowd of attempting-to-graduate students and their family members.

Her short, golden hair flowed from her scalp to her shoulders, tickling her sister's cheek. Her build was muscular, to better hug her little sister with. Her height was well-over her Ruby's, to better look over her sibling. And, a scar ran across her face, a Cheshire grin, to better smile at her pride and joy. Her top consisted of a low-cut, yellow crop top underneath a tan, leather jacket lined with orange and accented with gold. Gauntlets adorned her arms, and fingerless gloves wrapped around her hands. Her legwear consisted of a pair of black pants, and a lavender sash wrapped around her waist. And her footwear consisted of combat boots sealed with gold buckles.

Ruby struggled against the Yang's grip as she laughed, "You're gonna graduate like a boss and put all these extras to shame!" Her sister fell from her arms, sucking in air once she was free. "Ya gonna head to Beacon and your big sister will show you the ropes-"

Ruby blinked, "Yang…" Her gaze upon her sister was one of confusion. "I'm not going to Beacon."

The blonde stumbled back a step, "W-What?"

Her younger sister scoffed, "Do you even read my letters?"

Yang flinched before tilting her head; incredulous, "You write letters?"

Disbelief thy name was Ruby, "Yang!"

The elder raised her hands, "I'm sorry. I just expected you to text me when you want to talk!" Her eyes rolled as her tongue dripped with sarcasm, "You know, like a normal person!"

"We're in Patch!"

"Patch has signal!"

Ruby's face contorted, "Yeah, we're in it." She blinked before shaking her head, "Wait, that has nothing to do with this conversation!"

Yang's contorted in turn before the switch clicked in her mind, "No, I didn't mean-" She took a breath, "So, you're not going to Beacon."

The reaper shook her head, "No." She let a small smile graced her lips, "Dad already knows."

The brawler put her hands on her hips, cocking a brow, "Now, how did you get a letter to Qrow?"

The younger's face flared, "No, not _him_." She looked off to the side, "I meant…" A sigh escaped her lips as her fingers ran through her hair, "I meant Tai… _He_ knows…"

Yang looked off to the side, "Oh…" She took a breath, meddling with a lock of her hair, "Well, where are you heading?"

Ruby slowly smiled, "Shade Academy."

"Vacuo?" She shook her head, "The wasteland— _back end_ of Remnant?"

The brunette brought a finger to her chin, "I thought Mistral was the back end of Remnant?"

She waved her hand, "No, they're the ass end." An explanation followed, "Looks nice, but you really shouldn't go anywhere near it for your own safety."

The younger's face contorted, "I still don't get that metaphor…" She blinked, "Wait, what's wrong with a 'back end'?"

Yang waved her hand, "It's fine, but no one really takes care of it unless they have a loofa."

Ruby pinched her brow, "I…" She sighed, lowering her head, "I really hate this conversation."

"Aw, don't be like that." She punched her sister's shoulder, "It's been forever since we talked."

"Well, that wouldn't be the case if someone came home more."

She tossed her hair over her shoulder, "Blame my teammates, they just can't let me go."

Ruby smirked, rolling her eyes, "Uh-huh, yeah, sure."

Yang chuckled, "Ouch…"

"Ruby Rose!"

The brunette looked towards the open double doors, spotting teacher with a clipboard and dejected teen leaving her company. She took a deep breath before turning to her sister with a smile, "Well, that's me."

She extended her fist, "Kick ass—kill some Grimm."

Their knuckles bumped, "Heh, you got it."

-\ X /-

Ruby Rose stood in the center of the room, unsheathing Crescent Rose from her belt. She took a deep breath as several cages were rattled and rumbled around her. A retired huntress stood above the arena on a bleacher area of sorts. She wrote on her clipboard before opening her scroll, "Good luck, Ms. Rose."

Ruby pulled her goggles over her eyes as she lowered her body.

"3…"

She gave the head of Crescent Rose a test spin as it whirled independently of the base.

"2…"

Her grip tightened and her breath slowed.

"1…"

The cage doors slid open and Beowolves leapt from their openings, snarling and growling, as darkness leaked from their flesh. Ruby stood, unmoving, as they surrounded her. They circled their prey, swiping at the ground. They tried to generate fear. One let out a howl before one singled itself from the pack, lunging at the reaper.

Her finger squeezed the trigger, " _Ten little pups_ …" As the wolf swung his claws, Ruby aimed the dagger of Crescent Rose as the sniper fired. The gun-grip slid up the scythe's staff as the dagger speared through the offending paw. The flight of the spear dragged the Grimm's arm upward and away from her.

The Beowolf moved instinctively, ignoring its unusable palm, and swung its other set towards her. Her knee raised and her foot launched against its paw, negating the swipe. She gripped the handle and twisted it around the staff, getting a better grip on the weapon. The crescent blade spun before she ripped the smaller blade free from the wolf's paw and her finger squeezed the trigger.

Crescent Rose cleaved through the wolf's neck before it continued its momentum and came to rest on her shoulders. The Grimm's head bounced on the ground before withered away into nothingness. The wolves snarled as an empty bullet casing bounced across the floor. " _And then there were nine_ …"

The Beowolves converged on her now. She raised the barrel on the north end of her gun, taking a leg from one of the Grimm, while her scythe arced through the air. The back-facing end of the scythe split a Grimm in-half before it plunged into the ground.

She then used the anchor point to lift herself into the air and lay herself upon the blade before firing. The force of the sniper round sent her spiraling through the air before she gripped her scythe once more. The crescent blade spun as she circled through the air. She altered her position and found her grip upon the staff as her body flew.

The blade was brought upon the head of another Beowolf, embedding it within the wolf's upper body. Her spiral continued and sent her over the Grimm, ripping her blade free from it. She landed behind its disappearing corpse as the wolves shifted their point of their attack.

Ruby aimed the barrel of her sniper behind her before using the round to send her launching towards the pack. Her blade ripped through the air and sliced two more Grimm. She then collapsed her weapon as she twisted her body through the air, narrowly dodging two sets of swiping claws. She landed on her feet beyond the pack, skidding to a stop.

Crescent Rose returned as its blade spun and her grip tightened. The pack of five recovered faster than before, rushing at the girl. She fired and became a blur of rose petals as she lunged to meet them. The sniper barked at the wolves as she was spun into a sawblade. Three were cut down by their waist before she slid across the ground underneath the low swipe of a Grimm's claws.

Crescent Rose collapsed as she spun onto her feet. She smirked as she aimed the collapsed weapon. Two pulls of the trigger, and the last two Grimm fell with half of their heads missing. She let out a breath and a smile graced her lips as she hitched her weapon to the back of her belt.

She pulled her goggles down, letting them fall upon her neck, " _And then there was none_ …"

"Well done, Ms. Rose."

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck, "T-Thanks."

Mrs. Ambrose smiled kindly, "You were always one of the best."

Her face flushed, her eyes fell to the ground, and she tucked her hands behind her back as she kicked at nothing. "Aw, you're just buttering me up…"

The teacher turned on her heel, "Let us depart."

The brunette didn't recompose just yet, following after her teacher as a stumbling mess.

-\ XXX /-

Yang's arm wrapped around her young sister's shoulder, "I knew you could do it!" The siblings were walking out of the front gates of their old school, wandering towards the main body of Patch. The results were to be mailed to their address, so the pair had decided to depart before the mass.

Ruby was dragged on by her sister, raising her hand, "One: you didn't see me fight. Two: we don't have the results yet."

"While it's a bit far-fetched," -her sister groaned as she escaped her arm, "-you said that none of the Grimm even hit you."

"They didn't."

"And you wiped them out."

The brunette's face contorted, "I thought they were graded this with, like, a keen eye or something."

The blonde shrugged, "They keep an eye out for luck." She teetered her head, "There's skill and then there's getting lucky." She twirled her hand, "Because of the cages, the Grimm can wind up being really weak 'cause you know they die when they get kidnapped." She rested her hands on the back of her head, "From that, to rigging the test. That's what they're looking for." "If they think that the test was in your favor and not an actual test, you retake it." She offered one last shrug, "I had to."

Ruby blinked, "I… Don't remember that…" Her face contorted as she went down her hall of memories.

The elder frowned before looking off to the side, "Yeah, well, I did."

"Right." Her shoulders fell as she raised a brow, "Do you think I might have to retake it?"

Yang shrugged, "Maybe." She scratched her cheek, "It was pretty easy for you after all." She smirked, "But, I'm sure you'll pass anyway."

"Thanks."

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck, "Dad will be busy with Final Exams for the next hour or two." She tucked her hands behind her back, "You haven't been here for a while, so…" She turned, raising a brow, "Do you want to do anything?"

"Hmm… That arcade still open?"

"Yeah, Kimball's would never close on us!"


	2. House Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Yang go home. Where Yang makes a call to Beacon and a dusty old Qrow comes to get a drink.

Yang and Ruby stood side-by-side as their hands danced with the joysticks of the fighting game machine. The seventeen-year-old and the nineteen-year-old stood out amongst the crowd of preteens. Ruby was completely unaware of the gazes that landed on her back—too focused on the game. Yang, however, knew quite well, using the attention as a small form of entertainment every now and again.

Their hands moved in blurs and Yang asked, "So, Vacuo?"

"Yep," she replied with a pop of the 'p'.

"Got everything ready for that?"

Ruby shrugged, "Yeah, I just need to sow some ice-Dust into my clothes."

"Ice-Dust?"

"To keep cool—it is a _desert_."

Yang blinked, "Wait, so you're not gonna get a new wardrobe?"

Her sister rolled her eyes, "No." She shook her head, "I hate shopping."

"You should get some new clothes anyway." She shrugged, "You'll probably have to replace the Dust eventually. Maybe get some clothes for the weather to save the lien."

She pouted, "I hate it when you make sense…"

Yang smirked towards her sister, "Heh, comes with the territory." She shrugged, "I'll help."

Ruby let go of the joystick, "Thanks…" She coughed as she began to walk off, "Oh, and I win."

The blonde turned to the screen, spotting the defeat screen, "Wha—Hey!" She then spun on her heel, following after the younger. Once the older caught up, she wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders, "Okay, little Ms. Show-Off, let's get this whole shopping thing over with." She shrugged, "Dinner will be around before we know it."

-\ XXX /-

Ruby groaned as she stumbled into her room, dropping several shopping bags on the floor. Her whine became muffled as her face befell her pillow. Yang leaned against the doorway, rolling her eyes, "You're so dramatic."

The brunette turned her head from the pillow, "I didn't need to visit a lingerie shop!"

The blonde shrugged, "Nothing wrong with checkin'." She smirked, peeking into one of her bags, "And it was more for me anyway. Ren's gonna love this~."

Her sister's groan turned into a growl, "I don't need to hear that!"

She smirked, "Nora will love it, too?"

"I hate your team."

Yang shrugged, plopping herself on a chair in front of a desk, "Hey, who knows, maybe you'll find love like us."

Ruby turned on her back, drawling, "Love?"

Her sister frowned at the insinuation, "Hey-hey, I know you're stingy from the shopping, but don't shit on my teammates."

She sighed, sitting up, "Sorry."

"It's whatever."

The reaper rolled her eyes, "I can't believe you have a harem at Beacon."

Counter: "Polyamorous relationship."

"What's the difference?"

Yang twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, "A harem is a bunch of people loving one person. Polyamory is about a group of people who love each other." She smiled warmly, "I love my ninja, my knight, and my Valkyrie. They love me and they love each other."

"It's still a bit weird."

She nodded, "I can get that—it's not a common thing anyway." She leaned back in her seat, "But, to be clear, it's not a perfect relationship. We're as flawed as anyone else, but then we talk. Communication is key in any and all relationships, little sister."

Ruby's back met her bed, looking towards the wall, "Yeah… I guess keeping a secret for someone's entire life can really mess with a relationship."

The blonde rubbed the back of her neck, "Y-Yeah…" She scratched her cheek, "You, uh, haven't met them, have you?"

"I have not met team YLAN (Yolande), no."

"Well, we should arrange something. I'm sure you'll love them."

Ruby blew raspberries, "Not like you."

Yang nodded, "Well, I would hope not."

"I would hope not as well."

"Girls! I'm home!"

The siblings spoke at the same time, "Hey, Dad!"

Yang blinked as Ruby disappeared in a burst of petals. Her gaze slowly followed her sister's path before her eyes shut. Her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose before a sigh escaped her lips. "I need to make a phone call…" She lowered her hand before making her way out of the room and down the stairs.

Taiyang Xiao Long turned to Yang, "Ah! There you are, ya Little Sun Dragon."

His blond hair was didn't quite shine as brightly as it did in his youth. His build was still muscular despite his age. He still towered over the two girls. His clothing consisted of simple business wear. After all, he was working at Signal only a while ago.

His daughter smirked, "Little?"

"Right-right… Neither of my girls are little anymore." He sighed, "God, I feel old."

The youngest of the trio chuckled, "You are old."

Taiyang rolled his eyes as he stepped deeper into the house, "Oi. I'm still young—still in my prime."

Yang winced, "Delusional too."

He stepped away from the two, "Ha-ha!" He began to climb the staircase, "You two are _hilarious_." His voice carried through the house, "I'm gonna get a platter of cookies and just hog it all to myself!"

Ruby laughed, shouting after the man, "I'm going to set the table!"

His voice pierced the thin walls, "Okay! Sun Dragon, could you check the smoker out back?"

The blonde nodded, "Aye-aye, daddy-O."

Yang slipped through the first floor, moving past her zipping-about sister, through the kitchen, and out the back door. She noticed a plume of smoke from the smoker—go figure. " _Guess he must've gotten something ready before the exam_ …" She walked towards the device, peering at the thermometer that was connected to the meat inside. "All good, I think…" She straightened before peering back into the house, spotting her sister within.

She reached into her pocket and fished out her scroll. It slid open before she circled through her contacts and tapped on a magenta-eyed face. It rang once.

His voice came through—it had deepened since their first year at Beacon, "Yes, Yang?"

She smirked, "Hey there, One-eyed Wily."

A swift reply followed, "I'm hanging up."

"Hey! Hey, calm down you."

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

She leaned against the windowsill, "Hmm… I don't know. What are you wearing?"

"Vest—leather armor."

The blonde cooed, "Anything underneath that armor~?"

"A shirt…?"

Her smile persisted, "Come on, give me something to work with."

"Pink socks? Sandals?"

"You... You're wearing socks and sandals, right now?"

He sighed, "I'm in our dorm-room. Nora isn't here to mock me. Yes."

"Do hear that?" asked her with a smirk.

"Hear what?"

"The valley is going through a sudden drought."

"I know what you're going for. I get the joke, but that isn't an audible thing."

She rolled her eyes, "Come on! Play along!"

"Orange boxers?"

"What!? Orange boxers!?" Outraged, she was, but she was smiling too.

"Jaune's present for my birthday, remember?"

"I can't believe you're still wearing them!" Her hand landed on her forehead as she laughed, "I thought you threw them away!"

"They're fine."

"They say 'Fat Bitch' on the ass!"

"Literally no one can see them."

Yang turned, pressing her back against the house, " _I_ have to see them."

Ren laughed, "I feel like that isn't where your eye usually is when I strip."

She grinned, "Ooh, now we're getting spicy."

There was a moment or two of silence before he spoke, "Yang, are we joking? I can take this more seriously if we aren't."

A silent moment or two passed before she blushed, waving her hand, "It's a joke." She scratched her nose, "But… uh… Stay by your phone just in case."

Ren whispered into the phone—effectively whispering into her ear, "Promises-promises…" His voice shifted back to normal, "So, not that I mind, why did you call?"

Yang turned, peering through the window once more. She spotted Tai laughing with Ruby as they moved into the kitchen. A joke was passed between them, and warmth exuded from the two. It brought a different type of smile onto her face. " _Qrow isn't around… It's only natural_ …"

She finally spoke, "Nothing…" She turned around once more, leaning against the house, "I guess I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Well, you have it."

"So, have you eaten yet?" Her mind wandered, " _What kind of shitty habit it is to forget whole meals every day_ …?"

"I'll probably grab some food from the mess hall before curfew. You?"

"Smoked brisket."

"I'm jealous."

"Next time, I'll ask if I can bring you guys along."

"Taking all of us to meet the parent, huh? What a step."

Yang laughed, "Yeah…" Her eyes drifted skyward, "How's Jaune and Nora?"

"Date."

"And they didn't invite you?"

"Needed to study. I have a make-up exam to do for Port."

Yang frowned slightly, "Right…" A smirk quickly replaced it, "Too bad, though. We could've made a sort of… team effort later on."

"Maybe next time, Sunshine."

She cooed, "Ooh, I love it when you call me Sunshine."

"Then be sure to call me back, it'll be the only thing that'll leave my mouth."

Her face flushed as she let out a slow chuckle, "That sounds…"

Tai's voice yanked her out of her haze as the door swung open, "Hey, Yang! How's the smoker?"

Her eyes widened, "D-Dad!" She quickly turned her back to him, whispering into her phone, "I'll-I'll c-call ya back."

Ren returned, "Promise?"

Yang smirked, "Definitely." She ended the call as she straightened, fixing her hair.

"Who ya talking to?"

She quickly tucked her scroll away, "N-No one!"

Tai's face contorted, "You're looking a bit red. Are you okay?"

Yang coughed, "Yep!" She turned to the smoker, "I, uh, didn't want to open it to screw with the whole cooking process."

"Ah, yeah, thanks."

"So, uh, how have you guys been?"

"All good." He chuckled as he looked over the meal, "No offense but teaching teenagers can be hell."

"No offense to me, I'm not a teenager anymore."

Tai straightened, ruffling the hair atop her head, "Well, you'll always be my little girl."

She pushed his hand off, "Yeah-yeah." She put her hands on her hips, "How's Ruby? There's only so much she'll tell me."

"Good." He frowned slightly, "But… She doesn't really talk to Qrow anymore. She doesn't even write him."

"I mean I get why…"

Tai scratched at his teen, "Me too." He shook his head, "So, you know, I can't blame her. I can't push her either." He then shrugged, "She'll do it at her own pace."

Yang chuckled, "That's Ruby, alright…" She tilted her head, "So, Vacuo?"

He nodded, "I didn't like it in the beginning, but it's her life. If she wants to see the desert, that's her." He then shrugged, "I'll just keep my scroll on me, just in case."

His daughter laughed, "Yeah, I'll be doing the same."

Tai blinked as he noticed something sailing through the air before turning to Yang, "The food should be ready soon. Could you head inside and find that big flower plate for me?"

Yang nodded, "Yeah, sure." She turned and stepped away to slip back into the house, encountering her sister along the way.

Qrow Branwen dropped from the roof, landing out of the view of the back door and the nearby windows, "I thought you got rid of that thing."

His spiky, slicked-back hair was dark with hints of grey streaking through his locks. Stubble decorated his jawline, turning him into a gruff looking man. His build was lean and tall—like a scarecrow. Her top consisted of a two-toned dress shirt that was lined with black and held a long tail. His legwear was simply a pair of black slacks and his footwear were simple dress shoes. And, attached to his shoulders, he had a short, tattered cloak colored in red.

Tai shrugged, "I did."

Qrow fished a flash from his pocket, "Heh, good cover—only works once though."

"Why don't you come inside?"

The crow shrugged, "Can't. I'm on the job." He took a short swig, "Just thought I'd swing by."

"Qrow…"

Qrow shook his head, peaking into the building, "You know me, Tai." His head lowered before taking a long swig, "Family dinner's aren't really my thing…"

Tai crossed his arms, "You know, they might be if you actually attended one every now and again."

"Heh…" He shook his head before taking another swig, "Nah…"

"She's graduating Signal, you know."

"No shit."

Tai waited for him to take another swig, "She's applying to Shade Academy."

The bird choked on his drink, "S-Shade?"

"Yeah."

"W-Why?"

"Why do you think?"

Qrow recovered into a murmur, "Hm…" He then rubbed the back of his head, "She's really trying to distance herself from me…"

They both peered into the house, looking at the hooded reaper. Tai smiled, "Not that much…" He sighed, "She loves you Qrow. You know that."

"…"

"Just come inside—talk to her."

Qrow took another long swig before letting out a sigh, "Your smoker's burning…"

Tai's eyes widened, "Huh?" He spun on his heel, rushing to the smoker, "What!? Oh, shit!" He looked it over before looking over the brisket. "Huh?" He straightened, "Wait, it's fin-" He turned and saw nothing but a drifting feather, "Goddamn it…"

Yang's voice came after the swinging back door, "Dad! I can't find the plate, so I just grabbed this dumb lookin' one." She twirled an emerald-green plate before passing it to him.

Tai nodded, "Right…" He turned to the brisket, " _Isn't this the plate Ozpin gave us_ …?" He twirled it before shrugging, "It'll do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy! New chapter with some focus on Yang and Qrow. Both will be recurring characters. At times, we will leave Ruby in Vacuo and fly with YLAN during their senior year at Beacon.
> 
> The next chapter will send us straight to Vacuo and we will be doing some flyby character introductions. Their altered stories will be explored in the following chapters. Some will be sooner than others.
> 
> Posting that new chapter will be awhile. I have three stories currently running. Due to the nature of this one and Brothers of Hope and the schedule of my job, I don't have a lot of time to write. So, in order to keep my sanity and keep things in order, I will be posting SUD and Brothers of Hope on alternating months. Meaning February is Brothers of Hope and March will be Shadows Upon a Desert.
> 
> I do apologize for this schedule, but it is necessary. I can't exactly get an income from this.
> 
> And, well, thank you for reading and criticize away!


	3. Shade Academy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby Rose arrives in Vacuo to encounter a local at the steps of Shade Academy. While a former heiress encounters a former terrorist.

Ruby Rose looked at her acceptance letter to Shade Academy. She noted the coffee stain on one of its corners. It was easy to tell that this school wasn't the most prestigious of Remnant. The way to apply was surprisingly easy as well. It barely required any form of validation nor research in her person. No contact beyond the letter upon in her hands.

That didn't stop her from sending everything she had, of course. Better safe than sorry.

She took a breath before looking around the airship, taking her to the city of Vacuo. The ship was shoddy, at best. The glass was scratched, the wood floorboards were creaky, and the metal was damaged in multiple senses. It's surprising that it was moving at all. Individuals of all kinds of backgrounds and styles stood within the flying death-trap.

She turned away from the interior and took in her first view of the city below. The city of Vacuo was atop a mound of rock amongst a sea of sand. In the distance, just below the horizon, she could see the foliage of an overgrown rainforest.

The buildings were awfully similar to the images of Menagerie that she had glimpsed at, once upon a time. Although, there were more watchtowers dotting across this city's skyline. The C.C.T. Tower was an even bigger difference. It stood towards the center of the city and its pristine condition made it stick out amongst the rustic cityscape. A pitch-black train of reinforced armor speeding across its tracks was a noticeable difference as well. She could tell it was leaving the city as it left a giant cloud of displaced sand in its wake.

Her heart skipped a beat as the airship suddenly jerked around. She took a deep breath, looking about the airship. It had begun its descent into the city below. Their destination was towards the north cliff of the rock.

Shade Academy stood tall; decorated with palm trees and metal. It was a temple-like building with sections of it shrinking in size as you ascended. While there were several smaller buildings of varying sizes surrounding it. She could spot the courtyard before the main building. It consisted of a single pathway of stone leading into the building with twisting extensions leading elsewhere. It was decorated with plant life befitting of the climate alongside two pools of water. These pools were rectangular in nature, laying symmetrically on either side of the courtyard.

The airship creaked as it landed with a thud and a horrific noise that sounded like something had fallen off followed. She stumbled for a moment before its electric doors opened with creaks and hisses.

Ruby was one of the first ones off the bucket, "Thank the Brothers… Solid ground…"

She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the blazing sun. She could feel the dust laced in her clothes pull at her aura. The blazing heat was negated by the cold, finding a sweet center. She took a deep breath as she stretched. " _Getting used to the weather shouldn't be that hard_ …" She looked around, walking amongst the crowd of students. She didn't notice from the air, but she could now see the decorated benches that sat beside the main path. And that observation led to a realization, there was someone just napping on one of the benches.

She could see his monkey tail slither out from underneath him, swinging between his legs. It flicked and sprung in the air, drawing her attention. She didn't even realize that her head followed its movement as her walk went in his direction. Left, right, up, and down—so on and so forth. Her head was drawn upwards before going down, smacking her forehead on a metal nozzle.

Ruby let out a yelp as she stumbled back. Her gaze landed on his smirk before actually looking at his face. He was her age—probably. His blond hair was spiky, his eyes were an ocean blue, and his skin was tanned—no doubt from the weather. His muscular build was clear for all to see due to his choice in clothing.

Speaking of clothing: the Faunus's top consisted of an open denim vest with a hood that was, overall, decorated with graffiti-based designs in vibrant colors: yellow and white currently. Underneath she could spot a leather shoulder-holster which held a shotgun of sorts. Red gauntlets adorned his arms and a chain wrapped around his waist, taking the place of an actual belt. His legwear was simply a white pair of jeans which cuffed just below his knees. Bandages wrapped around his calves before yellow and black sneakers covered his feet.

The object she had smacked her head upon was a strange hilt of sorts. At first glance it was merely a hilt, but her eye caught the nozzle that her forehead had met. A Dust emitter and by the design of the lengthy hilt, she could tell there was one on the opposite end. Her first thought that it was some sort of laser sword, but then she spotted the type of Dust held by the emitter: ice, fire, earth, and gravity.

She blinked when the gunmetal hilt waved before her eyes. "Hey~. You okay there?"

Ruby blushed, "O-Oh, s-sorry!" She coughed, "I was just looking at your weapon…"

He twirled the hilt in between his fingertips, "Heh, this guy?"

"It's a Dust-emitter based bow-staff, but um… It doesn't seem to be designed to just create Dust. It produces the elemental effect, but uh… I don't know how it works." She tilted her head, "Which is rare, I don't see a lot of weapons I don't understand." She straightened, blinking, "Wait, I mean… Not like I'm completely clueless. You know, I have some theories, and…" She trailed off before slowly speaking, "I'm rambling."

He let out a chuckle, "A little bit." He held the silvery hilt in the air, rubbing his chin whilst looking it over, "If you really want to know… Hm…" A brow was cocked, "I mean do you really want to know?"

Ruby stepped forward with her eyes glittering, "Yes!"

He stumbled for a moment, "Uh, oh, alright…"

He twirled the hilt before activating it. She could see a transparent, violet hue emit from the ends of the hilt. She heard a hiss before columns of magma sizzled and flowed from the hilt. Another hiss before a blue aura passed over the lava before it steeled into a pitch-black metal with hints of red buried underneath it.

His fingers twisted and blurred as the staff spun. His free hand latched onto the grip as he spun the staff. She could feel the heat as it spun, but she flinched when she saw his hand fell upon the formed metal. No sizzle, no scream of pain. The metal was perfectly formed.

Ruby gasped, "Woah…"

He smirked, "Yeah…" He twirled it before tossing it into the air, "It's pretty good."

"How do you holster it?"

He blinked as his tail caught it, "Oh, uh…" He retook his hilt before twisting it slightly. A blue aura formed over the metal before its transparency burned with more and more intensity. She could hear the frost form and the crack of the metal as it turned brittle. He then raised it before smacking the ends against the bench. The extensions shattered into nothingness.

"Oh, that's pretty simple! Nice." She rubbed her chin, "Maintenance must be a pain though."

He blinked in response, "Uh… Yeah, sure…"

His pause caused hers, "O-Oh, I'm sorry!" She shook her head, "I didn't even ask your name! Oum, I'm such an idiot." She extended her head, "I-I'm Ruby!" She smiled with a tilt to her head, "Ruby Rose."

The Faunus shrugged as he shook it, "Heh, don't worry about it. The name's Sun—Sun Wukong."

They parted before they slowly walked after the crowd, "Are you a student here?"

Sun smiled, "Yeah." He muttered off to the side, "Sort of…"

Ruby nodded, "Well, um… It's nice to meet you."

"Same here." His eyes wandered past her for a moment before his eyes widened.

The reaper followed his gaze, "Huh? What is it?"

He quickly shook his head, scratching behind his ear, "Ah, nothing…" He shrugged, "Probably just… nothing…" His mind wandered, " _No way… No way someone like her would be in Vacuo_ …"

-\ XXX /-

Weiss Sch—or rather Sieben was in Vacuo. She looked about the area, shifting past students. Her boots gave her some height to compete with those around her. She could feel the heat pickled at her fair flesh—luckily, she had sunscreen. And while the long hair brought heat, it protected her neck from the blazing sun.

She adjusted her flowing, white hair from her face. Her bangs were held partially back by a black headband, but that didn't stop the locks framing her face.

She looked upon herself—a dress wasn't that practical of a choice in wardrobe, but she couldn't quite part with the idea. The long-sleeved dress was white with hints of blue decorated its surface. The sleeves clung to her arms like a second skin, and, in response to the heat, blue runes glowed upon them, cooling her off. Upon her shoulders, she had an open, double-breasted vest colored in white lined with a dark red. Black stockings befell her legs with runes similar to the ones upon her arms, serving the same function. And, the legwear slipped into her fore-mentioned boots.

Weiss looked about the courtyard, bringing a hand to her chest, "This place is quite beautiful, actually."

The crowd were directed through the halls by an adult bearing heavy black armor. The armor was too encompassing for anyone to get a good look at their face. The pitch-black armor was decorated with similarly colored feathers and white fabrics bearing the city's symbol.

The feathered knight led them to an amphitheater. The ceiling bore immaculate paintings, possibly depicting the capital's history. Surrounding the opening area that the students stood in, there were raised bleachers arranged in a circle around them. Around the bleachers, the walls and floor were made up of brown stone and accented with wood. The lower walls and floor were made up of marble with varying earthy colors. Before them and within view of the bleachers, there was a stage of marble where a woman stood.

She was in her late thirties or early forties. Her dark green hair was long; tied up into a braided bun, and her eyes were a deep shade of violet. Her outfit was a long dress that separated into six coattails once its length passed her mid-thigh. The colors of her dress consisted of shades of green alongside embellishments of gold metal running throughout it.

She smiled patiently at the crowd of teens who were talking amongst each other. Voices piled on top of others, creating a smorgasbord of sound. Soon the dark knight stepped onto the stage to stand beside her. The knight raised their foot before slamming it against the marble. The crack caught the attention of a few and they, in turn, passed the message to the rest. Soon, the crowd went silent.

The woman raised her hands, "Fighters, brawlers, knights, and rogues… Welcome to Shade Academy." She made a small bow, gesturing to herself, "I am your Headmaster, Theodora West." Her pose relaxed as she paced the width of the stage, "You've all come here for your own reasons and beliefs. Your skills unique to yourselves. You believe that what you have is enough to place you within this school." She came to a stop, turning to the crowd, "But… I'm not so sure." She chuckled, "If you cling to your acceptance letters and grades, then prepared to be disappointed. You've been allowed to enter this school, but now you must earn the right to attend it."

The crowd held varying reactions. A few verbally showed their outrage with gasps and shouts. Others maintained their composure despite the horror on their faces. Some remained silent; almost as if they expected this. Weiss was thrown by the idea, but quickly recovered. It only made sense to ensure the best of the best ended up within these walls. Not to mention, she already had a good idea of the mentality of the society here, and, with hindsight, this wasn't that surprising.

She reached behind her back and showed the crowd two decks of cards, "There's over one-hundred and fifty of you within this theater." She looked between the decks, "But within these two decks, I only have one-hundred and eight cards…" She smiled at the students, "The Culling begins." She pinched the decks, causing the cards to fly from her hands and into the air. The former heiress blinked as several students flew into the air, snatching cards from their fall.

Weiss pulled her saber free from her waist. Her old blade was no longer by her side, so she had to utilize her older sister's forgotten blade. Some modifications were necessary to make it similar to Myrtenaster in terms of elemental power, but otherwise, it was the dueling saber of her sister's design.

She quickly created a glyph beneath her feet. She launched herself ceiling-ward. Another glyph was willed underneath her feet, becoming a surface for her to leap once more. She snatched a card from the fingertips of another leaping student. She flipped over some man's extended hand before creating another glyph and lurching back into the crowd.

The former heiress winced as card burned in her hand for a moment or two. The surface of the card fluctuated, causing her to blink. She landed with a slight fumble as she looked over the device. Its design was unique, and, in a large font, it bore the number five. She turned it to see its suit of Spades.

A pair of students practically fell on top of her as they had tackled each other out of the air. The center of the crowd was chaos as it became a mosh pit over the falling cards. She zipped away from the body of the crowd. Her eyes widened as her hurry launched into a Cat-Faunus. They both let out a cry as they met the ground.

Weiss groaned as a boot landed beside her head. The slam shook all the grogginess from her mind, quickly yanking herself from the floor and pushing herself onto her feet. Her eyes landed on the recovering Faunus before looked at the falling students. She quickly helped the cat onto her feet before she used Myrtenaster to send them both to the outer edge of the room.

She straightened as she turned to the Faunus, "Are you okay?" Her eyes drifted to the second set of ears upon her head, "I…" She shook her head before bowing it, "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Blake Belladonna stared at her in stunned silence of the bowing Schnee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, everybody! Gonna keep this simple. I'm safe and fine. I hope that all of you keep yourselves fine and healthy as well. I'll try and maintain my current posting schedule and I'll keep everyone updated if something happens on my end.
> 
> And so, criticize away, leave your comments and thoughts in a review, and thank you for reading!


	4. The Pale Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Partners introduce themselves to each other and enjoy a calm slumber party.

Blake Bella—Nightshade's mind reeled as the Schnee bowed her head. Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company was apologizing to… her… Not commanding for one. She wasn't wearing the ribbon, was she?

No, she wasn't. She abandoned it before arriving in Vacuo—the place where she thought such features would never matter. At least, that's what she thought, but now a Schnee stood before her, and the sentiment seemed worthless.

She adjusted everything of herself just to adapt to this new plain. Her skin had turned tan from Vacuo's blazing sun. She couldn't part from her long hair; only pulling it into a messy ponytail. She had abandoned her wardrobe as well. She kept her white top, but it was now underneath a yukata-inspired tailcoat. Her legwear turned into black, fitted pants with a violet belt around her waist. All of which led into combat boots colored in black with hints of violet.

Her hand landed on the katana on her belt, it still felt foreign, but she could damn-well use it upon a Schnee without a problem.

So, imagine her surprise when the heiress extended her hand, "I'm Weiss."

The ravenette eyed her hand with suspicion, "I know who you are."

Her features deflated as she looked off to the side, "Oh… I see…"

" _Disappointment…? Guilt_ …?"

Weiss took a breath, maintaining her extension, "And you are?"

She looked between the heiress and her hand before slowly extending hers, "Blake." The handshake was fast and simple. She had let go within two seconds of taking her hand.

"Blake…?" Her voice told her that Weiss wanted her surname. Her silence was her answer. "I…" She coughed, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Blake blinked for a moment or two. She then slowly nodded, "Nice to meet you, too."

Weiss seemed elated by the response. From what Blake could tell, there were no ill intentions or anything along those lines from the Schnee. Initially, her senses roared in Schnee's presence, but had quickly diminished. No self-entitled edge infected her voice. Hell, while the heiress looked at her like she was the first Faunus she had ever spoken to, there wasn't even a judgmental gaze upon her.

Nothing like she expected at all…

Headmaster West extended her arms before slamming her palms together. The action resulted in a thunderous wave of sound to roll over the room. Blake winced as the sound reached her. She blinked as her breath quickened and her heart raced. She couldn't explain it. Her mind numbed as the world seemed to darken around her. Her knees quaked as they tried to give out. Her stomach flipped as her mind turned to static.

Her gaze snapped to Weiss as she let out a cry and fell to her knees. The heiress's hands latched onto her head as she fervently shook her it. And then, suddenly, with the snap of the Headmaster's fingers, they were fine, and all of her suffering vanished. She blinked as her face contorted out of confusion.

The monochrome pair shared a look as they panted. Blake looked at her hand for a moment or two before extending her hand. Weiss took it without a hint of disdain nor disgust, accepting the help onto her feet.

She shook her head, "Wha… What was that?" She brought a hand to her forehead, "That was… just awful…"

The Headmaster chuckled, "Do I have your attention?" Silence was her answer, "Wonderful." She smiled, "Now, to each who retrieved a card, you felt its burn. Those who did, those cards truly belong to you. They'll only ever respond to their original holder, so," -her eyes narrowed, "-return them." Students shifted and moved towards the center of the crowd. It was once the movement stopped in which she spoke, "That means sixty-five of you are dismissed. Try again next year."

A wave of disappointed and angered voices came before students began to make their departure from the amphitheater. "Now, we will shift to the topic of partners. Amongst this crowd of your fellow students, there is a card exactly like yours. That will be your partner for the next four years." She smiled, "Come morning you will begin your initiation with new partners." She added with the tilt of her head, "Tonight, you'll be having a sweet sleepover with your current partner. Enjoy the tours." She exited the stage with a casual wave of her hand; followed by her black knight.

Weiss turned to the Faunus, "Are you okay?"

Blake waved the question off, "I'm fine…" She shook her head. The effects were gone in a snap, quite literally. And judging by her status now, there weren't any side effects… for now.

The heiress looked around the now mingling crowd, "Could that have been her semblance? I suppose it makes sense for a Headmaster to wield such a power." She took a breath, shaking her head. "But… What was she thinking, using that on us?"

She shrugged, "Who knows?" She pulled her card from her pocket, "We should go see who our partners are." She looked off to the side, "I guess this is where we part ways."

Weiss spoke, looking over the cat's shoulder, "A five of Spades?"

Blake's eyes narrowed, "Yeah…" The heiress held up her own card, "Oh…"

The heiress nodded with a small smile, "I suppose we're partners then."

-\ X /-

Weiss and Blake walked down one of the halls of the academy's main building. Mostly to avoid the heat, and to enjoy the cool conditioning of the interior. The setting sun was bleeding from the windows and painting the halls with oranges and reds.

Blake's nose was currently in a book while Weiss tried to make conversation. "The library was bigger than I thought it'd be."

Yet, the Cat proved a poor conversationalist, "Hm."

Her smile faltered, "That card drawing was a strange way to divide everybody. A team shouldn't simply be left to chance, right?"

Or, perhaps, she just wasn't in the mood, "Sure."

Weiss pondered aloud, "Do you think all the academies are like that?"

Or, perhaps, it was the name, "Maybe."

In the end, Weiss recognized the wall before her. She couldn't help but deflate, "Is there… Is there an issue between us?"

Blake opened her mouth to speak, but she hesitated before closing it. She shut her book before turning to her, "To be honest… I'm not sure." Her brow furrowed, "When I saw you, I thought you'd be disgusted by me. That you'd treat me as some… lower life form…" She sighed, "But you haven't."

Weiss let out a sigh, "My connection to the SDC, no doubt…" She raised her head, "I…" but deflated quickly after. "I don't know what I could say to make you more comfortable." She shook her head, "If you had spoken to me a few months ago, you might've received that, but…"

She gestured to herself, "I've distanced myself from the SDC—I even doubt that I am still its heiress. My brother has more than likely taken my place." She shrugged, "Which is good for him, he seemed to enjoy the Atlesian Game more than I ever did." There was a hint of bitterness at the edge of her voice.

Her lips began a thin line as she raised her head, "I refuse to share my father's views anymore. I refuse to believe everything he's ever told me." She shook her head, "I am not my father. I doubt I'm even his daughter." She slowly smiled, "I'm… Weiss—Weiss Sieben."

Blake blinked, "I…" She shook her head, "I never heard about you leaving or running away."

Weiss's smile shifted into a confident smirk, "My father would never advertise his inability to control his own daughter. He'll try and find me quietly. Luckily, Vacuo and Atlas have a very poor relationship and the SDC barely has any anchor points here. The resource cost outweighs the benefit of simply me. It would be easier to announce my brother as his heir."

"So, you're… here on your own?"

"Not completely." She smiled with an unprecedented warmth, "Klein… I consider him family—real family." She nodded, "He's staying in the city. He's been with me ever since we left."

Blake blinked, slowly raking in all the new information. " _Weiss Schnee isn't a Schnee anymore… I_ …" However, her scroll buzzed before she could travel on her new train of thought. "A school-wide text."

A buzz came from Weiss's "Ah!" She fished out her own scroll, "Indeed." She tilted her head, "Our dorm number?"

-\ XXX /-

Sun and Ruby made their way through the warmly colored halls of the academy's dorms. Ruby looked at the metal plates that were riveted onto the doors, "Six-Eighteen… Six-Twenty…" They slowed to a stop, "Six-Twenty-Two."

Sun brought his tablet to the door handle, "This is us then." Its lock clicked, but he didn't open the door. She blinked, raising a brow before he turned to her, "Oh, uh… You know, I could just sleep in the hall if ya want." He shrugged, "I get it if you're not comfortable with sleeping in a room with a guy."

She blushed slightly, shaking her head, "N-No, I'm fine." She chuckled, "I mean it's not like they'll make us share a bed or something." She blinked, tilting her head, "Right?"

The local pondered for a moment, "Eh…" He shrugged before pushing open the door, "Probably not."

Sarcasm thy name is Ruby, "T-That's comforting."

The dark room was soon illuminated by the flick of a switch. The carpet was green. The walls were made up of an off-white dry wall with spruce wood markings its frame. The far wall contained a large window frame made up of spruce wood. A dark-green curtain shielded its view from the pair. On the left wall, there was a white shutter door, and, on the right wall, there was a spruce-wood door.

Ruby peeked over his shoulder and saw that, on the floor, were two sleeping bags. "Huh? There's no furniture."

Sun stepped into the room, "Yeah… I wonder if our stuff is even here?" He stepped over the sleeping bags before making his way to the shutter door.

She stepped into the room after him, tilting her head, "Are we expected to buy furniture?"

He pulled open the shutter doors, looking within to find a closet, "I guess that's possible." He crouched before two duffel bags, reading their tags, "This is Vacuo. Some people take that survival mentality to weird levels." He looked over his shoulder, straightening, "Our stuff's here."

Ruby nodded, "Great!" She chuckled, "It'd be awful if we didn't have any pajamas."

Sun turned around, backstepping into the closet, "But, I'm pretty sure a place like this can afford a bed or two." He ran his hand along the upper interior wall of the closet.

Her face contorted with confusion, "What're you doing?"

He was silent for a few moments as he finished his examination. "Nothing." He stepped out of the closet and shut it behind him, "Just… checking." He jogged over the two sleeping bags and stopped at the opposing door, "What's behind door number two?"

Her head tilted, "Checking for what exactly?"

He pushed open a door, "It's a bathroom. Black tiles… Dark-green marble… Fancy."

Ruby went silent for a moment or two—frowning at the Faunus. His tail flickered for a moment or two as he went through the bathroom. "Sun, what are you looking for?"

He closed the door, not meeting her eyes, "Nothing." He turned, smiled, and put his hands up, "Really. It's nothing. Just scratching my curiosity." He turned away from her, making his way to the curtain, "I never really lived in a place like this before." He pulled away the curtain and unveiled the view of the night sky and the ocean of sand beyond the cliff of the mound. "Eh, the views are kinda nice…" He shrugged, adding, "I don't really like staring at the wastes, though" He then chuckled, "But, it might be with it to see 'Big Bertha'."

She blinked, "What?"

He turned to her, slightly confused at her confusion. "That train? You know?"

"It's called 'Big Bertha'?"

"I mean we call it 'Big Bertha'. It was a gift from Atlas… Maybe… I think… It might be stolen—who cares. I'm sure they named it something else."

Ruby slowly nodded, "Oh, but why 'Big Bertha'?"

Sun grinned, "It has a giant-ass cannon on it." He shook his head, "Gigantic thing. It takes up four train cars! I've seen it fire once." He shook his head, "Man! That thing could rip this rock a new one."

Her eyes glittered, "Really?"

"Yeah!"

She blinked, "But, why do they need it?"

His face contorted out of confusion as he answered matter-of-factly, "Jörmungandr."

"Gesundheit."

He chuckled, "No, I ain't sneezing. I'm talkin' about 'The World Serpent'." Once he saw the lack of resolution on her face, he concluded, "You don't know much about Vacuo, huh?"

Ruby shrugged, "I-I did some research, but uh…" She twiddled with her fingers, "Not enough—apparently."

He turned to the window, gesturing to the dunes of sediment, "Well, if you want to know, it's this giant Grimm-snake that swims through the sands." He shrugged, "Could probably swallow this building whole if it wanted."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, but I've only really seen it from the edge of Vacuo."

"Why hasn't it been killed?"

Sun shook his head again, "It's too fast. Big Bertha can scare it off, but it's not fast enough to really follow the damn thing."

"Why hasn't it attacked the city?"

"Beats me—all I know is that it never has."

Ruby put a hand on her hip, raising a brow, "You know, you know a lot, but you don't know a lot."

He took a seat on the windowsill, "Heh… Never claimed I was a smart cookie." His tail flicked and turned, "Just a…" -he tilted his head, "-knowledgeable cookie."

"I could go for a cookie…" She blinked, "Wait, if they expect us to buy our own furniture, what about food?"

"Guess someone needs to brush up on their scavenging skills."

Ruby chuckled nervously, "Any advice?"

Sun blinked before pondering, "Eh… If you see something nice, it's probably shit or poisoned."

The reaper blinked, "Did… Did you get poisoned a lot?"

Casual as ever was the reply, "Like twice."

She paled, "Oh…"

"You okay?"

Sarcasm soaked her tongue, "Vacuo's such a nice place."

Sun smirked with a shrug, "Nah." He peered out the window, gazing at the night sky, "It's jack-shit, but, hey, home is home, ya know?"

Ruby looked at him for a moment or two; a smile slowly gracing her lips. "Yeah…" Her gaze drifted from his profile and downward, spotting his exposed chest.

If she was a normal person, it would've been one of the first things her mind latched onto when she met him, but this was Ruby Rose. All implications and scandalous thoughts were thrown to the wayside as she was more concerned with his staff, and with the Headmaster's semblance coupled with the card-hazing, it wasn't on her mind. But now, she was his partner—now, they were sharing a room.

Her cheeks flushed as she coughed into her fist, looking off to the side, "So, um… Do you… wear… shirts?"

He blinked, turning to her, "Huh… Uh…" He shrugged, "Sometimes, I guess, but I usually don't feel like it."

She fiddled with a lock of her hair, tucking her other arm behind her back, "So, you're just… going to walk around shirtless."

Nothing was wrong with that. "Well, yeah."

"H-Hm…"

He pouted, "Is something wrong with that?"

Ruby shook her head, "N-No!" Her face shifted into the same shade of her cloak, "I… I mean…" She coughed, "It… uh… It looks good." Her mind screeched, " _AAAAAHHHHH…! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT CAME OUT OF MY MOUTH_ …!"

The Faunus smiled innocently, flicking his tail, "Thanks!"

She turned away from him, yanking on her hood and pulling it over her face, "How does he not see anything wrong with that…!? Is he that oblivious…!?"

He turned back to the window, "So, it'll just be you and me in here, huh?"

She turned to him, "Y-Yeah?"

His tail twirled, "Thank Oum, I don't sleep naked, right?" He shook his head, "I would hate to do that in the same room as a cute girl."

" _C-Cute_ …!?" Her mind swirled, "I… um…"

He turned to her, blinking, "Oh, you don't sleep naked, do you?"

"N-N-No! N-No way!"

"You know, I don't mind if you do." He smiled, "I'll just sleep in the hallway."

"You don't have to! I-I don't sleep naked!"

"Well, what a relief, huh?"

She slowly deflated, "W-Wha… Y-Yeah, what a relief…"

He relented before he tilted his head, "Do you want to use the bathroom first? Take a shower before we hit the sack?"

" _W-We_ …?" She quickly shook her head, "Y-Yeah! I'll… I'll go first!" The space she filled was suddenly occupied by the falling petals of roses before the bathroom door slammed shut.

His tail flicked as he smirked, "Well, that was fun…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "There are some that only employ words for the purpose of disguising their thoughts." - Voltaire
> 
> Howdy, everybody! How's the quote? I just felt like doing it. And I'll keep doing it... until I don't.
> 
> Chapter-wise, our pairs have been formed. Blake Bella-Nightshade and Weiss Sch-Sieben are our first pair. Blake's appearance is slightly shared with her mother's, skin-tone wise. Her weapon has been lost; due to an altered backstory like everybody else. I'll admit that I was tempted to work with the 'hate each other so much that everybody will call it sexual tension' angle, but I don't really like angle to begin with so I went against it. Sun and Ruby's dynamic is probably expected: a shy reaper x a mischievous monkey.
> 
> Of course, everything's fun and games until Initiation hits!
> 
> And so, thank you for reading and criticize away!


	5. Initiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sun awakes to vines and growth. While the reaper encounters a cat.

**" _The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children_." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer**

**XXX**

Sun Wukong groaned at the ringing in his ears growing into an unbearable thunderclap as the sunlight burned into him. He slowly rose from his slumber, pulling free from his sleeping bag. He blinked, taking in his surroundings. He looked around, noting the canopy of leaves above him. Vines swung from tree branches and water flowed from a small stream. He blinked again.

"The hell?"

He looked around, "How did…" He clambered out of the sleeping bag, "Okay…" He took a breath, shaking his head, "Hell of a morning." He looked down at himself, noting that he still shirtless and in track pants. "In my pajamas, no less." He shrugged, "Usually, I have a pretty nice night before I wind up in the middle of shit."

The teen took in his surroundings once more, searching for what he had missed. He spotted the strap of a bag on the other side of a fallen tree trunk. He hopped over the log, keeping an eye on his surroundings. Strapped to the side of the bag, there was the hilt of his staff. Within the bag, he found his combat attire, his six of Spades, and his shotgun laid at the bottom. Alongside those items, he found rations, camping utilities, and a compass.

He scratched at the stumble along his jawline before dragging the bag behind a standing tree. " _First, getting dressed… Next, I need to find Ruby_ …"

-\ X /-

Sun adjusted the pack on his back as he started onward. The traveler's pack was thrown over his shoulder with his sleeping bag tied to its top. He held the strange compass in his left hand. Its make was a gilded metal decorated with green gems. The needle glowed with a lavender light as it shook and turned. The teen took a moment to compare the needle's direction to the rising sun.

"An Anemoi…" he murmured to himself. He hitched the compass to his left gauntlet, "Probably pointing at a nearby town… Or some place to meet up with everybody?" He examined the compass before beginning his trek forward.

The rainforests of Vacuo weren't foreign to the young man. After all, he had traveled through them on his trek to Vacuo. The rainforest-scape was to the north of the city, with an ocean of sand sitting between them. The Grimm of the rainforest were less overt compared to the desert-dwellers. Their advantage was held in their ability to ambush those amongst the difficult terrain.

Sun felt the sunlight's heat pool more onto the top of his head as he traveled, "Noon…" He shook his head, " _What exactly are ya planning Theodora…? Some of these guys got no clue what Vacuo's like_ …" He twirled his hilt in between his fingers, "… _You can't expect all these guys to make it, do ya_ …?" Behind him, red eyes blazed underneath the foliage of a large fern. "… _Surviving… Guess that's all Vacuo's known for… I guess even a huntsman academy can't be anything but cutthroat in Vacuo_ …" The monster lifted its body from its elevated terrain, and it growled.

The Grimm was a primate that stood eight-foot tall. Its torso was covered in bone-armor and its shoulders were protected with spikey, thorn-like pads. Its limbs were thin and disproportionately long. Its arms held bone-armor as gauntlets and elbow pads. Its face was covered in bone armor arranged in some spiral-like pattern while leaving space for its pitch-black eyes.

It let out a low guttural growl as it twitched and twisted its head. The monster leapt into the trees, ricocheting off one and off another. The Grimm's speed began to build upon itself more and more. It soon became a blur of fur and bone. It landed against one last tree before lunging at the teen and rendering it to splinters. The top of the tree fell away as the Grimm flew at Sun.

The Faunus turned on his heel, raising his arm and hand. The primate twisted its body to alter its flight, zooming past the teen and landing against a boulder. The stone cracked and shattered as it stood on its hind legs. It's head twitched as primate turned to primate.

Sun smirked as he looked between his finger-gun and the Grimm. Its head practically snapped from its stump as it let out a growl. The bones over its face twisted and pulled out of the way, unveiling its cracked and distorted face. It was almost Human—almost. The Grimm beat its fists against its chest, letting out a howl and scream at the teen.

It became a blur, lung at the student and rendering the boulder's surface into dust. The Faunus quickly leapt into the air, dodging the bullet. His tail caught the hilt of its staff before it hissed to life. Magma became lava, lava turned to metal, and the air hissed when they met.

Sun landed on his feet, twirling his staff. The Grimm bounced from tree to tree once more, decimating the tree line around them. The Faunus leapt out of the way of the fallen treetops and covered his face from the raining splinters of wood.

The Faunus rested the hissing metal on his shoulder, coughing and waving his hand, "Forecast didn't call for rain." The Grimm let out a howl as it lunged at him once again.

He spun, following the primate's flight with his eyes. As the blur flew on, the sound of its impact never came—as if it never landed. His eyes narrowed, turning on his heel and looking for the beast. All he saw were decimated trees and shattered boulders. The monster's howls were gone, and the teen was left in silence.

His eyes narrowed as wood dust stung his eyes. He pivoted again and again, looking for the beast, but finding nothing. He slowed his breathing and shut his eyes. Listening and waiting. The birds were disturbed, running away in their flocks. And then… a resounding crack of splintering wood in the distance.

Sun's hand landed on the hissing metal before his aura brought it to life. The blackened metal shone with smoldering red. He lifted the staff off his shoulder, bringing about smoke and crumbling ash. It raised through the air before he brought it down, blocking the Grimm's path with blackness and fire.

The Grimm quickly redirected its body through the heat and dark. It crashed against the ground, rolling across it before its back slapped against the base of a tree. Its body snapped and bent before it launched itself into the tree branches.

The monster growled as it glared below. Its prey was hidden behind the smoke. It let out a howl, beating its chest with its fists. Negativity didn't radiate from the Faunus—fear was nonexistent. The anger it once detected was gone. It beat its knuckles against his skull before it let out another howl. Though, its venting was interrupted as the burning staff speared through its mouth and pinning it to the tree.

Sun leapt from the smoke, grasping the staff once more. His aura flowed and it burned through the monster's flesh. He planted his feet against the branch before using it as an anchor to rip his staff skyward. The metal burned through the Grimm's face. A choked cry escaped its lips as its head was split in half.

The Faunus flipped from the tree, landing on the ground. He then twirled the staff before the metal was cooled into brittle icicles. He smacked one end against the ground, causing it to shatter. A twirl and another strike shattered the other.

Sun twirled the hilt, "Fucking hate Shanxiaos…" He looked around at the fallen trees and splinters, coughing from the wooden dust. "Something probably heard that mess." He pumped his aura into his legs before leaping onto a branch. " _Should stick to the treetops from now on_ …"

-\ XXX /-

Ruby groaned as she chopped through another set of bushes. She stabbed Crescent Rose into the ground before looking about the rainforest's ground. She lifted her arm, examining the strange compass on the underside of her wrist. " _It's not pointing north_ …" She pulled her scythe along as she trekked onward. "… _Sun sets in the west, so… I'm heading south_ …?"

Her eyes fell on the teetering needle before scowling, "The needle keeps moving!" She tossed her arms into the air, smacking Crescent Rose on a low-hanging branch, "What good is a compass that doesn't point north?" She quickly brought her baby down, looking her over, "Crescent Rose!" She shook her head, glaring at the compass on her wrist, "What are you pointing at!?"

She took a deep breath before sighing, "I really should've done more research before coming here…"

Ruby blinked as she felt the device tug at her wrist. She stumbled after the pull, resting her scythe on her shoulder. She looked between the compass and the path onward. Her arm was pulled upward into the tree-line. Her gaze landed on a branch above her. Her eyes widened at the sight of a darkened figure with amber eyes staring back at her.

She let out a yelp as she stumbled back. Both hands landed on Crescent Rose, and she would've lowered yourself into a battle-stance—if not for that overgrown root she stumbled over. Her skirt covered bottom hit the hard dirt ground, forcing out a cry of pain.

The dark figure landed before her as she struggled with her weapon, but a voice brought about hesitation. "Calm down."

Ruby blinked as her silver re-met amber, rising to see cat-ears, "I… Uh…"

Blake Nightshade extended her hand to the reaper, "You okay?"

The reaper blushed as she was helped onto her feet, "Y… Y-Yeah…" She shook her head, stepping away from the stranger, "You scared me there…"

"Sorry—just thought the tree-tops would be safer than ground-level."

Crescent Rose was in her hands again—she found comfort in that, "R-Right." She coughed, "Y-You're a student, right? At Shade?"

The cat raised a brow, "Would there be anyone else out here?"

Ruby's eyes narrowed with suspicion, "Bandits."

She shook her head, "I doubt it." She looked around the forest—the second set of ears twitching, "I haven't been in Vacuo long, but I understand that people steer clear of the forests."

"R-Really?"

"Grimm are… powerful, or extremely… stealthy."

Ruby joked, "Like you?"

A small smile crossed her lips, "Sure." She unhooked the pulsing compass from her belt, holding it up to Ruby, "It looks like we've been led to each other." The compass shifted in her hand, sliding across her palm towards the reaper—only stopped by her curled fingers.

The reaper took a step away from the stranger, shaking her head, "What? Why would it do that?" She paced away from the Faunus, "I mean its definitely not a normal compass, but…" She turned back to the cat, "Why would it point me to you?"

She shrugged, examining the compass, "I'm not sure myself."

Ruby gripped Crescent Rose, "You're a student at Shade, right?"

Blake turned, "Yes-" She saw the reaper's battle stance and her hand landed on the pommel of her katana, narrowing her eyes, "I'm not a bandit."

Genuinely: "I'm really sorry if that's true, but you came out of nowhere, watching me from the trees. You're just claiming that a compass, that was more than likely given by Shade Academy, would just lead me to someone I don't know." She shook her head, "It's just suspicious."

The reaper and cat circled each other as the brunette pondered aloud, "Um… There's probably a way to make sure that we are both students at Shade." She teetered her head, "Scrolls can be hacked and altered… The compasses can be snagged from anyone."

Blake straightened her back, "Look, I understand." She took slow and calming breaths, "It's only reasonable to be cautious of strangers, especially in a situation like this." Her mind bounced, " _I can't blame her… I would probably be acting the same if the circumstances were flipped_ …" She then suggested, "The Headmaster's semblance, or what it was, during the card-hazing."

The reaper spoke incredulously, "I'm not going to do something you suggest."

" _Right, if I were a bandit, I would suggest anything that I knew the answer to_ …"

Ruby blinked, "Wait, the cards…" She smiled, "The cards burned us and then became their suits and stuff, right?" Her hand left Crescent Rose before fishing through her pocket, "When people snatched cards from other students, they became blank again." She held up the metallic card, displaying a six of Spades, "Where's yours?"

The Faunus nodded before reaching into one of her pockets, "Right…" She held out her card, five of Spades.

The reaper relaxed, "Oh, thank Oum." She collapsed Crescent Rose before hitching it to the back of her belt, "I'm really sorry—I just had to make sure."

"No, no, it's okay." She gave a smile, "I would be suspicious, too."

"Can… Can we start over?" The reaper extended her hand, "I'm—I'm Ruby."

She shook it, "Blake." She raised a brow, "Do you threaten everyone you introduce yourself to?"

Ruby's cheeks flushed, "N-No!" She bowed her head, "I'm really sorry!"

Blake shook her head, "Don't worry about it." She looked at her compass, "I guess we're supposed to be partners."

"Oh, maybe we find our partners and become a team."

"More than likely."

"But, uh, how do we…" The reaper slowly unclipped the compass from her vambrace and it flew from her as the ravenette's flew from his hand. The devices collided before they both broke apart and refigured into a larger compass with both needles lining up perfectly with each other, pointing in a new direction. The cat caught the new compass as it pointed somewhere that wasn't north.

Ruby blinked, "Huh…" She shrugged, "I guess there's a part two."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, folks. Not sure what to say. Devil May Cry 5 reference. Sun went to work. And Blake and Ruby meet. Sorry for the short note.
> 
> And so, thank you for reading and criticize away!


	6. Initiation Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heiress encounters Monkey while Reaper and Cat battle against the jungle

Weiss Sieben narrowed her eyes, aiming her saber at the swinging monkey-Faunus, "So… Your compass happen to lead you to me."

Sun Wukong smirked as he hung upside down, gripping the branch above him with his tail, "No, I just walked in a random direction for no reason and just 'happen' to find you." His traveler's bag hung from his armpit.

She faltered for a moment, "I suppose that sounds ridiculous when you say it like that." But not for long, "How do I know you didn't attack my partner and steal her compass?"

His eyes rolled, "Duh, because I got my own."

Her glare didn't lessen; instead, a sigh escaped her lips.

He twirled his hand, "Look, I don't know what Theodora or Theodore or whatever he/she is calling him/herself is…" He blinked, freezing in his spot, "Hang on, I lost where I was going…" He suddenly let out a yell and throwing out his limbs, startling the former heiress, "Ah! I don't know what the academy's plan is, but this is up Vacuo's alley, alright?" He dropped from the tree branch, landing his feet, "Despite being a school for teenagers, survival of the fittest charges on." His bag now hung from his shoulder.

Her saber followed him, "And does that precisely mean?"

Sun teetered his head, "We're meant to survive out here. Judging by this compass nonsense, we have to survive out here as a team." He shrugged, "Doing that is a lot harder if no one knows each other. So, our resident Headmaster comes up with a way to force us into socializing."

"So, we're supposed to be a part of the same team," said Weiss as she cocked a brow.

He shrugged, balancing on a fallen log, "Probably, I mean it would be pointless for us to go through all of this introduction stuff without putting us on the same team."

She finally began to lower her saber, "True…"

"Now, we've met so the question is how do we get the band together?" He juggled his compass, "Well, this is an Anemoi. A compass with a gravity Dust shard to mess with the needle."

"Yes, I had guessed as much."

"Then you know that the shards are pulled to their original… mass? Yeah, let's go with that." He rolled it down his shoulders. "So, my guess is that they took a standard shard and broke it into two before taking those two and turning it into quarters." He popped it off his arm with his elbow before catching it with his tail. "The new shards are attracted to the other shard that made them two. Then those two shards will point to each other to become whole again."

"A long-winded way to form teams…"

Sun rolled his eyes, "Our Headmaster will probably say its fate."

"Do you really know our Headmaster that well?" asked Weiss.

"Heh…" His head teetered, "I know her well enough."

"Why is that?"

The monkey chuckled, "Let's say I… owes her my life… He's the reason I'm here."

"He?"

He waved his hand, "Heh, later." He leapt ahead of her, holding out his compass, "Come on, Ice Queen, we got a team to form and an Initiation to beat." Her own compass flew from her belt, combining with his and becoming a new Anemoi.

Weiss glared, stomping after him, "Wait!" She raised her saber, "I still don't trust you."

Sun jogged onward, "Then you can kill me later!" He adjusted the strap of his bag, "We don't want to be here all day!"

She muttered underneath her breath as she adjusted her own bag before jogging after him. Once her pace caught up with his, she asked, "What is your name, at least?"

He smirked, "Sun. I bet I know yours, but you know…"

"Weiss—Weiss Sieben."

"Did your parents name you after an heiress or somethin'?" laughed he.

"No, I was one."

He laughed, "Well, shit!" He nudged her shoulder, "Ha, maybe you're not so bad then." His head shook, "Never thought someone like you'd become a runaway."

"And why is that?" asked she.

His tail teetered like his finger, "Always thought Atlesians lived in castles—well fed, all nice, clean." He shrugged, "Why leave?"

She paused, filling the air between them in silence. Before slowly her answer came, "Family…"

He blinked in return, "Oh… Sorry."

"It's… fine." She smiled—for the first time, "Truly. I've had a few months to come to terms with it all."

He smiled in turn, "Heh, well, if it's any help, I know people with that… story." He shrugged as they trekked on, "If you ever need someone to talk to, I know a few who kinda know."

"Really?"

He nudged her with his elbow, "Yeah, runaways gotta stick together." He raised a brow, "You got people here?"

"He used to be my butler, but now…" she trailed off.

"Gotcha." He gestured to himself, "When we get back to Vacuo, I'll make he's safe."

"Safe?"

He joked, "Well, not like all of us runaways got hearts of gold."

"You have enough influence to offer… 'protection'?" questioned she.

"Eh, more like a warning. Not like I got an army at my beck and call, but I got a rep that I can use."

Weiss raised a brow, "Reputation as…?"

Sun puffed his chest, "A B.A.M.F.!"

The former heiress blinked, "B… BAMF?"

"BAMF."

"You say that like I'm supposed to know what that means."

It was his turn to blink, "You don't?"

"No." There was a bout of silence before she raised a brow, "Well?"

The monkey smirked, "What? I'm not gonna tell ya. Guess."

"Guess?"

"Yeah, that's the fun bit."

Weiss only sighed in response. She slowly raised a brow, "I suppose it's an acronym."

"Yep."

"I suppose it's spelled… B-A… M-F?"

"You got it."

"Are you going to give me a hint?"

Sun laughed, "Nope."

Another sigh.

-XXX-

Headmaster West sat at a small desk, playing with a deck of strange cards. This desk was far from her actual office within the main building of the academy. Her favorite seat was behind the school, sitting near the edge of the city's mound of rock. This seat provided her a view of the ocean of sand as well as the jungle that just hid over the edge of the horizon. On this desk, her scroll sat on a little stand and its top consisted of a reflective marble.

Her tablet vibrated before she tapped her screen to answer the call, "Yes?"

A male voice responded, "I am reporting in on Team Twenty-Five."

She laid out four cards, unveiling their tarot-markings, "Go ahead, Professor Crone."

"The team has formed their pairs and are now on their way to meet." He added, "Relations have formed. Surprisingly, Rose and Nightshade seem very cautious of each other while Wukong and Sieben have been dancing with some banter between them."

"Understood, report back when the team forms." She frowned at the cards' faces. She shook her head before adding, "When you can please do ensure that Zerzura is still standing. You are in the area, after all."

"Of course, Headmaster," replied Crone.

Headmaster nodded, "Thank you," before ending the call. She looked upon the cards once more, propping an elbow on her desk and resting her cheek in her palm. "Hm…" She looked upon the rolling hills of sediment, "A group of rather troubled children…" She looked upon herself, "The threatening mother may not work…" She smiled as she stood, slipping her scroll into her pocket. "Well, I've been meaning to revisit Theodore anyway."

-XXX-

Blake Bella—err… Nightshade followed the point of the large compass with her new partner following silently. After their rocky start, her newest partner went into a long bout of silence. The occasional glance over her shoulder unveiled a guilty look upon the red reaper's face. The silver-eyed girl walked behind the cat, maintaining a certain distance between them. Her hands were before her, fidgeting with her thumbs, as her eyes wandered from flora to fauna. Everywhere she wasn't.

Blake didn't mind quiet—she reveled in it, honestly. However, this form of silence itched up her spine. She could feel Ruby's gaze land on her back more than once. It faded fast. She could hear the intake of breath, like the reaper was about to speak. However, whatever words she had quickly died on the tip of her tongue. It reminded her of a certain someone's attention she had garnered a long time ago.

They had walked away from thick trees and canopies and were walking amongst thinner trees. They were closer together and made the trek more difficult. The pair now had to weave through the trunks and cautiously step over overgrown roots. Their traveler's packs got caught on the nearby branches before they snapped underneath the girls' pull. The pair pushed forward, snapping branches and trampling foliage. Blake came to a stop as the ears atop her head twitched.

Ruby blinked, "W-What is it?" Crescent Rose came out in full with a quick twirl, freeing her the space to wield it freely. She gripped it tightly, clenching her jaw and lowering her body. "Is there something out there?"

Blake hissed; voice nearing a whisper, "Careful!" The reaper deflated as she continued, "We don't want to draw attention." Her gaze shifted onward, "Something's moving out there."

"S-Sorry," she stuttered. "Can you tell what it is?" she then asked.

Her cat-ears twitched, "It stopped…" Her eyes narrowed, "We're being watched."

Ruby's back straightened as her aura caught up with the Faunus's senses, "Followed, too."

The car turned to the reaper, "You said your partner was familiar on Vacuo?"

"He's a local," she affirmed.

Blake began to walk forward, "We need to find your partner."

"Y-Yeah," she answered. "What are we going to do?" she questioned.

"We could cut through and rush forward—try and find our other halves faster, but… We don't know what's out there. We could get ourselves into a lot of danger."

"Yeah… I tried to do research into Vacuo, but… I didn't think to look into the rainforests or jungle—I'm not even sure anymore."

A faint smile graced her face, "I feel like I should've prepared more myself."

A creak and a stomp of a limb stabbing into the ground stole their attention away from each other. Blake's katana left her sheath, unveiling the black sword's violet blade. Her back met Ruby's as they looked upon the rainforest that surrounded them.

"Where was that?" she quickly asked.

Blake shook her head, "I can't tell… Everything's echoing. I can't pinpoint any of it."

Ruby looked over her shoulder, "Grimm… Can't be invisible, right? I haven't heard of one that could."

The cat frowned, shaking her head, "I… I can't say I doubt it. I haven't heard of one myself, but…"

"Well, we can't stay put," stated the reaper.

"Agreed…" She sighed, "Did your partner give any advice about Grimm in this area?"

Ruby thought for a moment, "Um… He mentioned that Grimm here are better at hiding than most…" She teetered her head, "Sometimes you just need to look up-" She shouted as her boot connected with Blake's back, "Move!"

Blake fell forward before rolling onto her feet and spinning to see Crescent Rose dragged upward by a set of vines. She looked above to see the giant mouth of some thin-bodied Grimm standing around them. Its lopsided eyes glared at her as it unhinged its jaw. Eight limbs came from its back, stretching over the tree-line and stomping around them. Her eyes widened when she saw tree trunks swing as the Grimm adjusted its stance as it tried to eat the weapon.

The cat quickly spun, rushing towards the Grimm's limbs. She used the nearest tree as a steppingstone before lunging at the tree-like leg. She recoiled when a new limb stabbed at the ground before her—pitch-black and armored in white.

Her form turned dark before a shadow formed in her stead, allowing her to step off it to avoid the limb. She spun through the air before her foot landed on another tree. Her leg bent before she lunged once more. With a swift swing, the Grimm's limb fell apart before she created another shadow to leap off of to cut her original target.

As she flipped through the air, her feet landed upon a tree. Only for that tree to rip from the ground, causing her to tumble through the air. She gritted her teeth as she fell, swinging her blade at the moving tree. The beast let out a high-pitched screech as she crashed onto the ground.

It waved its limbs amongst the trees before its other limbs slipped and it lost its balance. Its screech turned into a growl as it crashed into foliage.

Blake panted as she pushed herself onto her feet. She looked around to see nothing but the sprawling limbs of the defeated Grimm. "R-Ruby?" She rushed towards the fallen Grimm, "RUBY?!"

She heard a familiar voice cry, "Hiya!" before she saw another set of trees stumbled and faltered. Another thin-bodied Grimm crashed onto the forest floor. A red clock flowed after its rider with her armored fist embedded into its body.

Ruby ripped her arm free before her armored fist collapsed into a gauntlet, "Blake!" Her eyes were wide like she hadn't realized the nature of what she did. "What happened are you, okay?"

The cat let out a laugh as the living Grimm's limb swung. The limb crashed through the trees, splintering them into chips, as it swung at her. Her shadow manifested as an instinct, occupying her space and sending her over the strike. As it ripped through the black form, she spun through the air. Whilst in mid-air, her feet landed on the falling trees as she spun to face the fallen Grimm.

The point of her blade aimed at the Grimm's body before she lunged at it, skewering the fallen Grimm and silencing its existence.

Ruby jogged over to her partner, "Blake!" Her eyes widened as she caught her weapon, narrowly saving it from the dirt.

Blake rolled her shoulder as she sheathed her sword, "That… was surprisingly heavy…"

The reaper twirled her scythe, collapsing it and holstering it, "Eh? Really?"

The cat smiled before she shook her head, "You're a lot stronger than I thought."

Ruby smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, readers. So, we start out with our resident monkey and former heiress getting to know each other. They're interaction is a lot better than Ruby's and Blake's. Sun is a lot more open than Blake with lofting confidence over Ruby. He's able to take control of the conversation rather easily. He earns a wary trust due to his knowledge and familiarity of Vacuo and in particular with Shade's Headmaster. To simply put, he talks like he knows what he's doing and provides good points to support himself. Thus, Weiss goes along with him. We also get "Sweet-Summer Child" Weiss and her ignorance of BAMFs. Blake and Ruby are traveling and encounter Grimm. Blake wields a katana well as Ruby, due to her seventeen year-old status, can fight both with and without Crescent Rose.
> 
> Please pose any questions, criticize away, and thank you for reading!


	7. Filling in the Blanks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heiress and Monkey encounter a dangerous beast before running into a few familiar faces.

Sun balanced along a fallen log. With its thin nature, the act would've proved a slight challenge if not for his tail. He turned to his newfound partner who grumbled underneath her breath as her arms laid cross and a hand rubbed her chin.

He chuckled, "You are having a real tough time with this, huh?"

"Bad… Something… Mother… Something…" she said as her face contorted.

Sun hummed, "Halfway there~."

She waved her hands and stomped, "I've been halfway there for the last hour!"

"It hasn't been an hour." He blinked, "Has it?" His gaze shifted upward to peer at the sun's position, "Ah, shit, I looked into the sun!"

"Just give me the answer," she sighed, exasperated.

"Come on—at least one more guess."

Weiss shook her head, rolling her eyes, "Bad… Apple Mother… Fritter."

He broke into a small sprint before leaping onto a boulder, putting his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest, "Badass Motherfucker."

She blinked, staring at him, "Really?"

Unmovable, he was, "Yep."

Weiss scowled, "How… horrifically vulgar." She shouted, shaking her head, "How pointless!"

Sun shrugged, "Eh, it made like an hour pass, it wasn't pointless."

Her scowl slowly lessened as she thought about it. She sighed, waving her hand, "I suppose…" The pair turned, returning to their trek. Her eyes landed on the compass in his hand, "Well, are we any closer to our... other halves?"

He lifted the compass, teetering his head, "Kinda-" His next step caused his eyes to widened as his foot never found a footing. What was once a view of a jungle became a view of a dark burrow underground. His backside slammed into the dirt terrain at the bottom.

He grunted out of pain and winced.

Weiss's voice came from above, "Sun!?" He spotted her shadow appear over him as she, no doubt, peered into the burrow, "Sun! Are you okay?"

Sun pushed himself onto his feet, "Y-Yeah." He looked at the dirt cave that surrounded him, patting his bum, "Shit…" He spun on his heel, looking about the area, "What the hell?" Before him was a long tunnel, one that seemed to gradually elevate upward and towards the surface, hopefully. Turning on his heel, he spotted a black mass behind him.

He blinked for a moment or two. "Uh…"

"Was it?"

Night vision let him see the white bone armor on its furry surface, "Oh… no…" He began to slowly back away.

The Grimm was gigantic, matching the size of an airship. The monster was cat-like as its ears and tail matched those of a panther. Its tail was tipped with a white spike. Its back was covered in bone with spikes that jutted skyward from its spine, and its paws were protected in greaves of shattered cartilage. Its face was covered in similar armor with pulsing veins of red hidden underneath it all and running throughout its body. Two gigantic, jagged fangs escaped its upper lips alongside a guttural growl.

"What?" She sighed, "I'm coming down!"

Her voice echoed, his heart dropped, and a pure red eye slid open.

She landed with a grunt before dusting off her arms, frowning, "Are you ok…" She trailed off as she turned. The black mass let out a huff and a growl as it stood.

His hand latched on to her bicep as he dragged her back, "Run!" He pulled her away before spinning on his heel and rushing towards their only hope of escape, "RUN!"

Weiss spun on her heel before she pulled her saber from her belt. With the flick of her blade, she brought a string of glyphs into existence. She heard a questioning remark from her new partner, but, ignoring it, she looped her arm through his as she stepped onto the first one.

"What're you dooiiiinnnnggggg!?" cried Sun as they flew down the tunnel. "Oh, shit!"

Their eyes nearly screwed shut when they basked in the sunlight once more, "By the Brothers, you are heavy." The arm that was looped around Sun's grew weaker which each passing second. To the point in which she could barely keep him above the ground. His toes began to drag against the ground before they caught the edge of a prodding tree root. With his sneaker caught, he was pulled to the ground with her in tandem.

They bounced across the rocky dirt, bending foliage and snapping twigs.

Sun stumbled onto his hands and knees, "Fuck… Weiss, you still good?"

"G… G-Give me a moment…" panted Weiss.

The Faunus pushed himself onto his feet, "No time that Lynx will up our ass in a second." He grabbed her arm, pulling her up, "Listen, just don't think about it. Being afraid or angry will just help it find us."

The former heiress groggily rose, speaking absentmindedly, "R-Right."

Sun forced out a chuckle as he laid her on his back, "That's the spirit. Let's get out of here." His tail turned stiff when he heard the yowl and screech of the Grimm behind them. The destruction of the burrow they had found themselves in was done in tandem with the beating paws of four limbs. He let out a small curse before rushing forward with the heiress on his back. The Faunus stumbled and bumbled before his tail helped him gain a level of balance.

He leapt onto the nearest rock, using it as a steppingstone upwards. He stepped tree to tree, scaling higher and higher, before he landed on a branch to lurch forward. The jostling caused the heiress to let out groans as he leapt from branch to branch. The ground behind them exploded as a black mass hurled itself towards the sky. Through trees and atop of rocks, there came the cat-like Grimm; colored in abyssal black and guarded with white bone, pulsing with red.

Only for a moment, it sniffed the air before barreling after the pair like a runaway train.

XXX

Ruby and Blake cut a path through the foliage and thin trees. The reaper was the head of the pair, using her range to clear a large path. The Cat-Faunus followed after her with the compass in hand. The needle twitched and pulsed. "We must be getting close to them…"

Ruby smiled, "I'm sure we'll see them soon."

The cat nodded, "Agreed. But, to be honest, I'm more worried about the Grimm."

"Why?" questioned the reaper. "We haven't encountered any for the past few minutes."

"That's exactly why I'm worried. With Vacuo's reputation, you'd think there'd be droves of Grimm."

Ruby shrugged, "Hm… I guess. I always thought the terrain was the danger to this place." Suddenly, the sound of trees being rendered into splinters caught their attention.

Blake's eyes narrowed, "What is that?"

"Let me down already!" cried a voice from above.

"Is now really the time!?" retaliated another.

Ruby's eyes followed as the pair leapt from branch to branch above them, "S-Sun!?"

Sun spun through the air, landing on a branch, as he peered below, "Ruby!?"

"Weiss!" exclaimed the Cat-Faunus.

The heiress forcefully freed herself from the Monkey-Faunus's back, stumbling onto the branch, "Blake!?"

Sun waved his arms before pointing forward, "Shit! Come on! Run!"

The grounded pair followed his finger, "Oh, crap!" In the distance, they could see some dark creature with blazing-red eyes charging through the thicket of trees. Sun and Weiss landed into a crouch as they took ground with their partners. As a group, they quickly turned and broke into a sprint. They leapt over the fallen branches and ran into the foliage.

"What did you two bring on our heads!?" shouted Blake.

Sun shook his head, "It wasn't my fault! It was a complete accident!"

"That kinda makes it sound like it wasn't," advocated Ruby.

Weiss winced, "No, it was…"

The newly formed quartet leapt over logs and narrowly dodged between the thin trees surrounding them. A vine snagged Sun's shoulder and it stuck. The growl of a Grimm could be heard above them as he was suddenly reeled back. He let out a curse as he was dragged into the air. He then blinked when angled glyphs appeared in the air. Like a white bullet, Weiss shot through the air. The glint of her blade shone through the air as she cut the Grimm's limbs.

Sun landed with the bend of his knees, "Ha! Thanks for the assist." He rejoined the group's sprint, "Gods, Misgola suck!"

Ruby commented, "Guess that's those things' names."

Weiss's eyes narrowed as she looked to the moving tree-trunks, "There's more ahead of us!"

Blake heard Sun murmur to himself, "Probably heard the other ones' screaming…" He pulled his hilt from the back of his belt, igniting metal to create his staff. Ruby twirled her scythe as Blake readied her katana while Weiss poised her saber.

Blake summoned a clone to trap the stab of a Misgola's limb. Her legs bent before she soared into the air. With a flick of her thumb, her katana inched from her sheath. Her arm moved in a blur as she ripped her blade free her sheath. The monster's body and limbs were diced into dozens of pieces before she leapt off of her shadow clone. As she soared through the air, she twisted her body and straightened her blade vertically ahead of her. Her blade split the next Grimm in two as she descended.

Ruby twirled the scythe to aim the barrel towards her back. At the same time, Weiss flicked her hand, summoning glyphs across the ground and in the air. The reaper fired her rifle to send her into the air as the former heiress danced into the air. Each round sent Ruby through the air, allowing her to use every other round to cut through another Misgola. Weiss leapt from glyph to glyph, elegantly moving through the air to slash through the monsters.

Sun brought his hands together, forming two clones of light from his body. As his body fell, the two clones rushed at the Misgola's legs. Their shoulders rammed through the Grimm's legs, forcing the legs from the ground, before their physical beings faded. In that same instant, Sun's eyes snapped open as he flipped his body through the air, slamming the end of his staff into the ground. With a burst of flame, he lurched into the air before twirling his staff in the air. The whipping wind ignited the metal, allowing the staff to pierce the falling Grimm's body. The metal sizzled and the black flesh burned. With another twirl of the staff, he sent the disintegrating body falling away. He then landed with a roll before breaking into a sprint after the team.

The quartet continued their sprint, leaving four disintegrating corpses behind them. The larger Grimm continued after them, trampling through its fallen comrades. The Grimm continued to rip through trees and crack boulders. Sun looked over his shoulder at it, missing the sudden drop ahead of him.

He let out a curse as he fell down a steep hill, rolling through foliage and smacking his body into stone. Weiss tried to stop but was too late, falling down the hill herself. Blake was able to skid to stop, but Ruby was too busy looking over her shoulder, smacking into the Cat-Faunus and sending them both down the hill. The quartet bounced and rolled down the steep hill, trampling through foliage and narrowly avoiding trees.

The group slammed onto the landing below, coughing, as they were covered in dirt and shrubbery. The sudden stop made each member of the quartet lose their grips upon their weapons, allowing their tools and bags to fly away from them.

Sun forced himself onto his feet, grabbing his classmates before dragging them behind an overgrown tree. Weiss groggily tried to ask what he was doing, but he covered her mouth. With a crash of dirt and wood, the Lynx leapt from the top of the hill, landing amongst the thick trees. It kicked up dirt and sent several trees as it skidded across the ground, causing them to rain upon the landscape.

The monster looked around, sniffing the air. It stalked towards the base of the hill before it suddenly swiped at a bundle to trees, rendering them to splinters. Blake flinched as several splinters collided with the tree they hid behind. Its head snapped towards them before slowly stepping forward. She heard Sun curse as he unholstered his shotgun. Its steps slowly grew louder and louder.

She looked up at him and saw the string of contemplation dancing across his face. She noticed his foot turn outward as he began to take slow, deep breaths. He looked down at her and she saw the fear in his eyes… and the peace. He took another breath before smiling. As the Grimm's steps grew louder, Sun turned to dash from their hiding place, pushing his finger against the trigger of his gun.

Suddenly, Ruby's hand clasped over his arm, causing him to stumble back and send chips of dirt from their hiding place. His eyes widened as he looked at her: horror, betrayal, utter confusion. The Grimm's eyes narrowed before it leapt around the tree, slamming its paw against the hill, and staring down its prey.

Only to be met with a blinding light…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI SORRY, I'm late. No point in excuses, chapter is here now. So, we have the assembling via dangerous threat. The usual fair when it comes to stuff like this, I believe. We have everyone operating still as individuals with intersection. Not really a team yet.
> 
> Silver Eyes. I didn't want to use them initially, but I decided to hit them with a nerf hammer and keep them. Not to mention, the scenario written just worked with them included, so I really couldn't help myself. You shall see those nerfing results in the next chapter. Apologies again for the delay.
> 
> So, thank you for reading and criticize away!


	8. Into the Wastes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby Rose is out for the count, leaving her team to pick up the pieces.

Sun, believe it or not, knew what the sun felt like on his skin. He knew how it burned and how it pierced one's eyelids. However, this burn was different. This light was furious in a way that competed with that very ball of fire hanging above them all. His eyes slowly fluttered open, taking in the world around him. First, he noticed the hand adorned with a red gauntlet on his wrist, holding back his shotgun. Beyond his barrel, there stood the Grimm, panther-like and monstrous. It just stood there. Black wisps shifted and blinked as red veins dulled. The very air around it seemed frozen. How could one explain how wrong it felt? It was like the very nature of reality had been perverted…

Then, a groan came, and his eyes shot down to the girl in red. She laid on the overgrown root; aura pulsed around her in flashes of crimson. Her eyes fluttered, giving a slideshow view of the red that framed silver. The blood that pooled in her tear ducts trickled down her cheeks.

Sun dropped his gun, shifting to support her head, "Ruby!?" He tried to smile, "Hey-hey, I…" – but just couldn't, "I don't know what to do… Tell me what to do. Tell me…"

"R-Rest… I just need to close my eyes…" She trailed off as her eyes slid shut.

"Hey, no. How about we not do that? Ruby!?" His fingers laid upon the side of her neck, and her pulse seemed like the picture of health. Her chest rose and fell unimpeded. Sun took a deep breath before letting out an even gust, "We need to move…"

Weiss's voice could finally be heard, "There was a bright light and… The Grimm… It's just…"

"What happened to her?" asked Blake, moving to his side.

He shook his head, "Semblance? Genetics? Who knows…? Whatever she used to save our asses bit her back."

Blake's hands slightly touched Ruby's face, "Gods, the area around her eyes feel like they're on fire." The back of her hand fell onto the reaper's forehead, "It's not a fever…"

"She's out cold, either way." Sun shifted his position, aiming to move the girl onto his back, "Let's go, I'll carry her."

Blake hopped off the root, gesturing to her partner, "Weiss, come with me. We need to collect our supplies and fast."

Weiss waved her arms at the beast of darkness, "Are we just going to ignore this?" She flinched when the creature's eye rolled in her direction.

"Yes!" said both Faunus.

Weiss's gaze shifted to Ruby; her eyes widened, "R-Right…" She screwed her eyes shut and shook her head, "O-Of course." She turned and moved with Blake to their impact point, sifting through shrubbery and roots. She called over her shoulder, "Sun, how is she?"

"I ain't a doctor, but other than her eyes, she seems fine…" replied Sun. He pulled the unconscious reaper's arms over his shoulders. His tail flickered when she murmured into his ear, pulling her arms tighter around his shoulders. A spark of relief ran through him before he grasped her legs and lifted.

"I found the Anemoi!" called Weiss, tugging two bags onto her shoulders. "They all combined into one." Her fingers barely grasped around its sides. It's gold and gems were perfectly aligned, and four needles shared a rod, pointing in different directions. The top-most needle glowed with a violet hue as it shook.

Blake nodded, tugging on her own set of bags, "Good. We'll do a count of our supplies once we're at a safe distance from…" – her gaze turned to the Grimm, "-that thing." Her katana found a place on her waist as did Weiss's saber on her own. The cat had to grit her teeth to lift Crescent Rose much less lug over her back. While Weiss simply handed Sun's hilt to him, who then used it to support Ruby's bottom on his back.

Weiss looked to the Anemoi, "This'll hopefully lead us to the closest form of civilization out here."

"Since you have it, Weiss, you're on point," said Blake. "I'll take up the rear."

Sun finished, "Precious cargo in the center, on it."

Weiss moved on uneven ground, leading the group up a terrain of moss and leaves. Sun moved tentatively, trying to move his tail in a way to balance him without brushing up Ruby's skirt. Blake followed the three, sucking in deep breaths to lift the heavy cargo that was Crescent Rose. So, with no knowledge of the Ruby's semblance, the group pushed themselves as hard and as fast as they could. The Grimm could be freed at any moment and be upon them in seconds.

They didn't speak to one another on a casual level. It wasn't the time for it. Blake and Sun occasionally offered what their hearing could catch beyond Weiss's scope, nudging their path as far from Grimm as possible. Weiss led them forward, calling out the terrain ahead and offering whatever warnings seemed necessary. As time went on, the number of trees surrounding them slowly decreased. The foliage at their feet decreased in both number and size. Soon they were no longer walking on dirt and shrubbery, but sand. Sun was the first to step onto the sediment, looking out at the ocean of sand. The dunes looked like waves frozen in time. The occasionally gust of wind glided over the surface, causing grains to hit them, as they stood at the mouth of the jungle.

Sun cautiously laid Ruby onto the sediment, using her cloak as a blanket against its heat, "This should be far enough." He explained, "Grimm have territories. That thing won't leave it just for us."

Weiss crouched nearby, "What should we do?"

He nodded, "We need to flush her eyes." His hand extended, "Canteen."

Blake passed the item to her partner, "You help him. I'm going to check how much we have."

"Okay," agreed the former heiress.

Sun was handed the canteen, "Well, we can't do much. We don't know what's wrong with her." He opened her eye and began to flush it, "We stabilize her and get ready to keep moving."

Weiss frowned, "Moving?" She looked to the sprawling dunes, "We're at the edge of the desert. Is that really safe?"

He lifted the red cloak, "Look, her cloak is lined with ice-Dust, so are her clothes. She'll last the heat."

"What about you?"

"Me?" He chuckled, "Don't you remember I'm the local here? The heat's my… What's the phrase? Bread and butter?" His smile faltered when his gaze trailed to Ruby.

"Do you know her well?" asked Weiss.

His tail flicked, shaking his head, "Nah, I just met her yesterday."

"Really?" she questioned. "Sorry, it just seems you care about her quite a deal."

Sun scowled, shaking his head, "I just don't like this shit…"

"What?"

"She had to know what this'd do to her, but she did it all the same…"

Weiss pushed, "To save us."

"And handicap us." He shook his head, "Potentially get herself killed, too. She's lucky not to be on a team that's completely local."

First, a frown drew across her face. She seemed offended, but then a moment of thought came and then a question, "What do you mean?"

Sun took a breath, "You got a person down in the middle of Grimm-infested territory. Their weapon is heavier than they are. They just knocked themselves out. And made it clear that they'll put the group over themself."

Blake's voice cut between them, offering, "They'd leave her behind. Take the rations and guarantee their own survival." Her head shook; her arms crossed, "She was willing to sacrifice herself to save us once. She'd understand." Two bags were slung over her shoulders while a red block hung on the back of her belt.

"Wouldn't they… Wouldn't they feel guilty? In the slightest?" posed Weiss.

Sun teetered his head, swinging his tail in rhythm, "Maybe, maybe not."

"There's enough rationale to bury it, if need be," explained Blake.

Weiss took in their words but still shook her head, "That… That can't be. We're training to be Huntresses and Huntsmen!"

Sun sighed, "That shit's more of a job title than anything else. They're more like a cop in Vale or a soldier in Atlas…"

"Mercenary Guilds also operate most of the contract boards. You have to be a part of the guild to get a contract," said Blake.

"Unless you're a Huntsman."

"Which is the closest thing to law and order in this kingdom. It's a status, not really an ideal."

The monkey-Faunus turned to the cat, raising a brow, "And here I thought I was the only local."

"You are," she assured. "I've only been here a few months, but I've seen enough to understand how things work."

"Got your ass kicked by a couple of mercs, huh?" said Sun with a knowing smirk and a flick of his tail.

Blake's jaw seemed tight, "Besides the point…" She let out a sigh, "Being a Huntress out here isn't the same as everywhere else."

Weiss blinked, "I…" Her jaw seemed lazy, "I…" She trailed off, losing herself in herself.

Sun blinked in turn, pulling a slow frown across his face. His brow furrowed as his mouth opened and closed. He turned to Blake; she turned her gaze. A question was posed without words. She shook her head, adding a shrug for ensured clarity. Sun then tilted his head in Weiss's direction, not breaking contact with Blake. She frowned and put her hands up. Her head jerked, a counterproposal. His gaze turned incredulous before he made his proposal again with more force behind his head jerk.

Blake bit her lip before a restricted sigh puffed out. She looked to her partner, "Weiss…" No response, "Weiss." She crouched to her partner's level, "Weiss!"

"H-Huh?"

Her brow turned firm, "Look, I'm sure things aren't how you wanted them to be. That much is obvious, but right now, we are in a bad situation. We don't know how far away the nearest town is and we have a member down. Whether or not, Shade Academy is really what y – we wanted it to be can be dealt with later. We need to get somewhere safe and get Ruby to a doctor." She stated, "Everything about Huntsmen and Huntresses can wait. We need to survive. We need to start moving."

"R…" Weiss shook her head, "You're right…" She looked down at her hands, unfurling them from the fists they were, "It… It has to wait…" A breath was collected; a composure was rekindled. Weiss picked up the Anemoi from her belt, examining it, "The top needle is pointing us into the desert…" She noted, "It's shaking quite a bit, so the obelisk isn't too far away."

Blake nodded, "Hopefully, the nearest town."

"Supplies?" asked Sun.

Blake answered, "Few of our supplies were actually damaged. Twelve days of rations dropped to eight." She proposed, "If we play it safe, we can make them last, at least, sixteen."

Weiss stood, laying her hand on her pommel, "We will repeat as we've done before? I will lead, Sun: middle, and Blake will take the rear?"

"It's worked, I guess," said Blake, shrugging.

Sun nodded, turning to the cat, "Mind helping me get Ruby on my back?"

Weiss nodded, standing in turn, "I will collect my share of the packs."

"Okay," replied Blake. The former heiress moved from the unconscious girl to collect her dropped packs from before.

Sun murmured as Ruby was pulled onto his back, "She's not like you'd expect."

"Yeah," returned Blake. Though, she seemed to trail with that single word as if there was more to be said.

Sun's tail flickered as he stood, balancing the unconscious girl on his back.

"Shall we?" posed Weiss with two packs slung over her shoulders.

And so, their trek through the sands began. The group fell into a long bout of silence as their ice-Dust fought the heat. Weiss and Blake exchanged some words, but the heat silenced them. It was an hour or two into the sands where the group began to slow their pace—well, two out of four. The sun's position was slowly sinking into the horizon, shooting sunlight at them directly across the dunes. The heat stung their skin and radiated throughout their bodies. Blake's coat was no longer upon her back as it laid atop of her head to release her skin from fabric. Weiss had stripped her vest and rolled her sleeves. All done while Sun carried Ruby along, occasionally taking a break to examine her.

Sun let out a pant as his calves burned, pushing up the slope of a dune.

Weiss turned from its peak, "Sun? Are you okay?"

"We can take another break if you need to," suggested Blake from behind him.

"No…" Another step forward wafted underneath him, "I'm fine." He had to fight the grunt and growl building in his throat as he did so. So, he distracted himself, "How badly is that thing shaking?"

"Violently," answered Weiss.

Sun shook his head, "We're close… I can wait…" He added, "The sun's setting, too."

"The Grimm are worse at night," affirmed Blake. "Not to mention the coming chill."

"Bright side," offered Sun, "we don't have to deal with an Aspidochelone or a Charybdis."

"Excuse me?" asked Weiss as Sun reached her atop of the dune.

He elaborated, "Aspidochelone and Charybdis. Two giant Grimm that'll drown you in sand or swallow you in a pitfall of it—respectively." He shook his head, "Don't worry about them for now. We're still too close to the jungle for them to be swimming around."

Weiss carefully skidded down the slope onto a plateau. "I haven't even heard of those…"

"The Grimm here… are unique to the desert and rainforest." Sun slid down the dune after her, "There's no reason for any of the other kingdoms to care. Much less ask about 'em."

Blake skipped down the dune, matching the pace of the group, "Too busy protecting their own borders and settlements."

-XXX-

The Headmaster sat at her small desk, overlooking the ocean of sand. Her tablet vibrated before she tapped her screen to answer the call, "Yes?"

Professor Crone responded, "I am reporting on Team Thirty-Five."

"Go ahead."

Professor Crone replied, "When it comes to encounters, in terms of kills, they've done well. Mostly Misgola, however. Shanxiao was killed by Mr. Wukong—not unexpected."

"That's impressive."

He spoke slowly, "A strange… semblance has been noted." He slowly explained, "A bright light shone from Ms. Rose's eyes. While she was incapacitated, a Lynx was as well. It seemed aware while frozen in time. The light shone upon them all—her team, but the Grimm was the only thing affected."

"Hm…"

"And, after the group had moved Ms. Rose closer to the edge of the jungle, the Grimm was freed." He then added, "I did take the liberty of killing it."

She nodded, "Good work."

Professor Crone noted, "They're well into the desert and will make it to Zerzura before sunset. Mr. Wukong has taken up the mantle of guide as of late."

The Headmaster smiled, "As expected of him."

"Headmaster, may I ask a question?"

"You may."

"Are we certain that leaving this selection to complete chance is for the best?"

She examined the cards before her, "Not completely to chance."

There was a pause before he replied, "Of course." He added, "I will be returning to my observations," before the call ended.

-XXX-

Ruby's eyes fluttered open, they were tunneled, and they burned. Of course, they did. " _Damn it_ …" She still couldn't use them; not like her mom left any notes. For all she knew, the only way to get used to them would be to repeatedly use them. " _Yeah, right_ …" Her ears were still ringing, and her head throbbed like the beating heart of a marathoner. It was another moment before she realized she was leaning against someone's back.

It was another moment before he noticed her, "Hey there, Red." He dropped into a crouch, slowly sitting her down, "You're awake, finally."

Blake walked up, setting their bags on the ground, "Ruby, are you okay?"

Ruby sat upon the sediment, "Y-Yeah…" She pulled the hem of her head over her face, "It's just really bright… and don't talk too loud, please."

"Bright?" questioned Weiss. "The sun is setting? How?"

"Hangover rules?"

"You're not experienced in that sort of thing, are you?" pointed Weiss, crossing her arms.

"Eeh…" was the only response.

The former heiress turned her gaze to the reaper, after rolling her eyes of course, "How are you doing?"

The redhead groaned, "Not horrible, but definitely not good."

Sun looked amongst them, "How are your Dust-lacings holding up?"

The former heiress shrugged, "Well, I haven't felt the need to completely abandon any clothing, so everything's going as well as it needs to."

The cat sighed, sitting on her coat, "I'm pretty okay." She picked at her legwear, "Black isn't exactly the best suited for this environment…"

Sun shrugged, "Heh, yeah. Either a new color or a ton of more Dust." He turned, "You, Red?"

Ruby muttered, "Pretty... okay."

Weiss raised a brow, "Do you think you can walk?"

"I can try." She sighed, furrowing her brow and blinking, "But… My eyes... They're barely focusing on anything."

"We can take turns helping you the rest of the way." Blake added, "Weiss and I. Sun's been carrying you this entire way, so he's getting a break."

Sun blinked for a moment before letting a smile break, "Thanks."

"Don't thank me," scolded Blake, rolling her eyes. "You'll have to carry the supplies when we help Ruby."

"That's not that bad," he countered. He smirked, flexing his biceps, "Heck, I could handle Ruby and all four packs!"

Ruby groggily murmured, "Bet you can…", before she blinked. "I feel like I said that out loud…"

Sun smirked with the flick of his tail, "You did."

Her face reddened, from the heat no doubt, as she pulled at her hood, "O-Oh…"

"No matter… Whatever this is," interrupted Weiss, gesturing to the crouching pair. She put her hands on her hips, point to Sun, "You will refrain from doing so. We don't need you collapsing on us too."

A casual salute was given, "Understood, milady." Her eyes practically rolled out of her head for that.

"I'll help you, first," offered Blake to Ruby. "Sun?" said she as her packs slid off her shoulders.

"On it."

Blake then unhooked a red block of metal from her belt, "Do you think you can carry this thing?"

Ruby cried, "Hey!" Then recoiled, bracing the side of her temple, "Ow…" Before murmuring out, "Don't… Don't call Crescent Rose a thing…"

"Right…" Blake then offered, "Sorry." Though, her voice was hardly sincere instead coming off more bewildered than anything else. She ignored the look in response, tugging Ruby's arm over her shoulder. The other half of the team took up the remaining positions. With shoes and boots filled with sand, the quartet pushed forward once more.

-X-

The sun was dipping into the horizon, painting the sky in violets, oranges, and reds. Sun climbed to the top of the dune, looking into the distance. Weiss now supported Ruby, as best she could. The former heiress was equal to the reaper's height while also being on the weaker side in strength. She was more cane than crutch, and thus opted to walk around the dune rather than through. Blake followed after them, ensuring she covered their backs as her position required.

Sun skidded down the dune to meet them, gesturing for them to look onward. A town laid in the distance, silhouetted by the dimming light. It was a village surrounded by a fifteen-foot-tall wall of clay. Combined with these clay walls, there were thick plates of metal riveted into the dried material. At the points along the wall, there were watchtowers made up of similar materials. Atop of those towers, there were large, mounted guns alongside gigantic lanterns with energized gems of Dust, casting light into curved glass. These lanterns were brought to life as the sun had begun to set. There were a small number of buildings that rose above the wall. Their rooftops were flat and some of them even had rope bridges connecting them together. The buildings were primarily made of wood and drywall.

Ruby smiled weakly, "We made it…" Though, she couldn't keep looking forward as the sunlight irritated her damaged eyes. A wince and whine escaped her lips.

"Be careful, you dunce," scolded Weiss, rolling her eyes.

Blake pondered, "Do you think they're expecting us?"

"Probably, considering the Anemoi," suggested Sun with a shrug.

The group moved forward as Ruby asked with eyes screwed shut, "H-Hey… Why haven't we run into anyone yet? I mean… Shouldn't we have seen at least someone out here?"

Weiss turned to Sun, "Are there many towns near the jungle?"

His eyes narrowed as he pondered, "It's hard to say." He shrugged, "These places are like blips in a system. One week, they're there and the next second, they're gone."

The cat muttered, "Yeah, that's just how these settlements are everywhere."

Sun tossed out, "And, well, some of the teams are probably from Vacuo, so they might be trying to hoof it all the way there without pitstops."

Weiss shook her head, "I can't imagine that." Her eyes widened for a moment as she slipped on an uneven surface, nearly sending herself and Ruby into the sands.

Sun chuckled while rolling his eyes, "Hey, Blake?" He held out the Anemoi, "Why don't you take the lead? Weiss kinda sucks at helping out, Ruby."

"I can hear you!" growled Weiss.

"Weiss!" cried Ruby.

A look of worry shot to Ruby, "S-Sorry…" She spat back at the monkey, albeit with a quieted pitch, "And I thought we agreed on disallowing you from assisting Ruby." "You've already done enough."

Sun crossed his arms, shrugging, "We're in the homestretch. Not much walking left to do and comparing the packs to Red, let's just say I'm well-rested."

"H-Hey, I'm not that heavy..." Her eyes barely opened, tilting her head, "Am I...?"

Weiss seemed like she had half the mind to comment, but refrained. She took a moment to reexamine herself. Her ankles and knees shook while her arms' muscles cramped like they never had before. She was more at risk to collapse than Sun was. She shook her head at herself before raising her gaze to meet his. A gesture was made before the two traded luggage.

Sun pulled Ruby's arm over his shoulder, "Not at all, Red, lighter than a feather."

"A bit heavier than a feather," murmured Weiss, earning a chuckle from Sun. His pace was slow with another's in tow. Blake considered properly leading the group to the settlement on point, but with their target in sight, she decided to remain in the rear. Her eyes were focused ahead and around the precious cargo. She blinked when she noticed Weiss's pace slow to match hers.

Weiss offered, "How are you doing?"

She rolled her shoulders, "Now that the heat has died down? Peachy." She looked off to the side and gazed into the distance, tucking her hands behind her back, "When it comes to the walk, I'm fine. I've done this more than once, to be honest."

"Really?"

"Yes. My father had to move supplies from the badlands to our…" She trailed off for a moment before finishing with, "settlement." She waited for a moment to see whether or not Weiss would accept that finish before continuing, "Though, we did have some vehicles to lessen the burden."

"So, is this a dramatic change for you?"

"It's a good one."

Weiss blinked before nodding solemnly; a soft smile graced her face, "Ah, the old life wasn't too charming?"

Blake looked at her, blinking for a moment. It was strange to be on some sort of equal ground. Sure, there wasn't a complete understanding, but that isn't always possible. Everything was relative, after all. " _Sometimes, that's enough_ …" She took a breath, "No… Not at all." She looked towards the shifting sky, "I'll admit that sometimes it felt like I was living my best life, but…"

"You weren't," the former heiress finished. "At least… not for yourself…" The cat stared as Weiss gazed at the shifting sky, "Honeyed words and rose-colored glasses…" Their eyes met, and with a shrug, she said, "Happens to the best of us."

The cat blinked and stared before looking forward and nodding, "I suppose it does…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello-hello, folks! We are back! Now, there's a lot of stuff to go over overall. First, I've decided that team YLAN will be making a reappearance! Eventually... One day... Whatever, in the end, they will be a reoccurring set of characters later on with a plot-relevant role.
> 
> Next, Silver-Eyes and my nerf hammer. An untrained user is harshly punished for their use and without the Grim Reaper's teachings, Ruby has no real chance at becoming trained. This makes them effectively useless for the most part. Which is the intention.
> 
> From there, the chapter is mostly about the rest of the team with some expositing about Vacuo. Blake and Sun are realists. They best understand the harshness and moral-greyness of the wasteland. Currently, both fulfil a sort of leadership role as Sun is the expert in all things Vacuo while Blake serves survival tactics. Ruby leans more into idealistic beliefs, great sacrifice and other heroics. Weiss shares in some idealism while also being relatively grounded depending on the subject. Both have much to learn over Initiation.
> 
> P.S. RETCONS: Yang's 19-Years-Old design has been altered. For those not knowing, she has shorter hair, a Cheshire-grin scar, and an altered outfit.
> 
> I'm not sure what else to say, so, I'll end it here.
> 
> Criticize away and thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy! To be back in the RWBYverse. It's been awhile. I've been working on a lot of stories since I left, but never really made one I was quite proud with until now. It's still in the works of course, and I do have a lot to say this time around.
> 
> Now, there is something I need to clarify. I am not the biggest follower of RWBY anymore. I don't enjoy the show as much as I used to. I, until writing this story, didn't even know that Sun was a disliked character. I still haven't found a concrete reason why. I know enough about the story-kept up with that. I have opinions on where the story has gone. So, I acknowledge the lack of knowledge on my part. However, my intention with this story is not to connect with RWBY, but rather do something else.
> 
> I've written exclusively Jaune stories. Most in which I believe aren't that great. Originally, Jaune was where Sun is. To be honest, I had simply forgotten that Sun existed and was a resident of Vacuo. Once he was revived in my head, I realized that shifting Jaune's character wasn't necessary-well, until I came up with the summary.
> 
> I will also make my intentions clear that I will not strive to connect this story with the canon one as of most fanfictions-at least, the ones I've read. Most characters are going to be altered in both backstory and motivation. Sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. All of our main characters are getting new weapons or at the very least altered ones. And, last but not least, shipping is set in stone for most of the characters aka [Sun x Ruby], and [Blake x Weiss]. Which are all influenced by dashingicecream's artwork on Tumblr.
> 
> Posting schedule is not in stone. I have three stories currently. So, I will be spliting up my time accordingly. I will try to get a chapter per month, but there things that get in the way. If any of you are coming in from Brothers of Hope or The Quirkless Hero: Deku, then you know what else is going on. As a TLDR, my home life is quite shit and can affect my posting at any point and time.
> 
> With all of that being said, I will leave this here.
> 
> And so, thank you all for reading, leave any thoughts or comments in a review, and criticize away!


End file.
